Don't You Remember?
by NostalgicDemise
Summary: Jack Napier was probably the worst decision she'd ever made, but he was also the best thing that'd ever happened to her, it was all just one big joke. Too bad not all jokes are funny.
1. August xx, 1991

_August 25th, 1991_

Middle school was supposed to be an invigorating period in any prepubescent teenager's life. The time to find your clique, make friends, experience dating. For the small framed girl plopped down into the rotting gray chair that was secluded off into the corner, it was literal hell. Not twenty minutes into the morning walk through the woods toward the school and it had begun to rain heavily, the dark purplish sky was offering no mercy to the young girl traveling through them-alone.

Just as every other year had started off, Juniper was used to it by now.

Her slightly frizzy black hair caused her to look like a timid kitten in the corner of the office. While her petite form made her seem harmless, her hazel eyes glanced about with the hostility and distress of a branded lion. The other children knew to stay away from the young, Juniper Heden. She was marked an outcast, her rebellious nature was of no assistance when it came down to it, just kept others further away than they'd have been in the beginning.

Her clothing swallowed her, the baggy hand me downs had various rips from her constant nervous prodding at the fabric, it did nothing to help the girl's small, worrying appearance. The yellow, coffee stained slip in her hand was held with jittery, anxious fingers, the words on it accusing her of some absurd act that she was more than likely, not guilty of. It was just how things went, it was just how they were. Juniper took the constant prodding and prosecuting without falter, it was what the young child knew, and she was accustomed to the emotional abuse of her peers and administrators.

She fought back when she could, ready at all costs for another knife to add to the many in her back, she took up for herself as much as she was possibly able, and accepted when things were simply out of her hands. The world worked against those it didn't see fit to be in it, something she'd learned at an early age. She was one of the many who fought to be in it.

It was possible that was why, when the boy walked in, adorning an over sized sweater that hung around him like a cloak, soaked from the rain, just as she-Juniper didn't release her claws and strike him for his dark stare as she would've done to so many others. She could relate to the unsure malice in his eyes and the bruise that splay sharply on his cheek, like a twisted form of a purple and green blush.

Hazel eyes glanced away carefully but dark russet eyes remained in a scrutinizing stare.

 _August 26th, 1991_

Somehow, someway, they'd both found themselves in the office again the next day. It was a routine that Juniper begrudgingly went through year after year, and something about the way the blonde haired boy's leg had begun to fidget with awkward rapidness and boredom, told her that he could relate. When they hadn't called on either of the two children by two o'clock, Juniper decided to at least try to be somewhat productive and pulled out a math sheet, that had multiple problems on it she knew for a fact she wouldn't be able to complete-as she'd missed her lesson by being sent to the office. With a heavy sigh she flipped the page over and decided to give the puzzle an attempt, blowing her blunt cut fringe away from her eyes multiple times to stop them from obscuring her view of the work.

The rapid sound of taps against the sketchy tiled floor stopped and she glanced over to see she'd caught the boy's attention, his almost onyx shade of eyes glided over the papers and in a moment of thoughtless politeness, Juniper plucked a puzzle page up and offered it to him. The gracefulness in which he took the paper from her hands had been unexpected and even caused her pale eyes to widen slightly at the quick movement and instead of handing over a pencil she gestured toward the few she had in her pencil box on the table.

Neither of them spoke but Juniper was fine with the silence, and simply watched as he completed each puzzle with ease.

 _August 29th, 1991_

Juniper caught on pretty quickly, she'd seen from one of the crumpled up notes in his hands that his name was, Jack Napier, and he didn't tend to talk-at all, it seemed. _Given_ , she hadn't asked any questions, she figured that it was simply best to just remain quiet and offer him various puzzles and books from her satchel to keep the both of them occupied.

She never asked for anything in return, no communication or supply of entertainment from the boy, and she could see the suspicion in the inky brown orbs grow each day when she simply offered him a craft and continued with her own. There was no need for his caution, Juniper didn't need anything from him, although the company was rather nice, to know that someone else was like her, _even_ if it was just a bit. Or the simple comfort of the sound of someone else breathing was enough for her, and preferred over the usual, constant silence.

Juniper offered him a small smile when he looked up, he didn't return it.

 _September 1st, 1991_

Their office streak had worn off, but she was pleased to find that Jack was actually in her classes. It also worried her that he'd find out just what a freak she was and his company would vanish, but somewhere inside her mind she knew he wouldn't, he was just as castaway as she, if not more. She learned this on the first day of their class together, the children immediately avoided both of them, Juniper thought she actually smiled a bit when the boy sat down in the seat beside her, in the back next to the window so she could daydream. Jack liked to daydream too, she found out.

Lunch rolled around in a hurry, and while most children rejoiced in this time, Juniper strayed behind, recoiled, and ready to pounce, claws out and all. There had never been anything good about it, in all truth, she had no friends to converse with and no lunch to occupy her time, she just sat and daydreamed most of the time, but when she could sneak from the lunchroom, outdoors, she'd manage to smoke a few cigarettes to take the anxiousness away at being around others-for the time being anyhow.

Juniper invited Jack with her this time, as he didn't have anywhere else to be, she figured he wouldn't mind, he didn't reject or accept her offer, not verbally. He just followed after, almost obediently. Juniper was surprised when she offered him the cancerous stick and the blonde haired boy reached out immediately, with dirt beneath his cracked nails and took a long drag of her offered cigarette like he was saying hello to a long lost friend.

They were quick companions, allies-in a way.

At least that's the way that it seemed, as Juniper had found herself at Jack's side for the better half of the day. He was still quiet and secluded and she'd expected nothing different. Most days were a repeat of the first few days of school, it was a normal and dependable routine that was one of the few consistent things in her life. So mundane and yet oddly enjoyable that sometimes, there were moments when they were alone, in peaceful silence that she could _almost_ claim that the wild haired blonde was her _friend_.

 ** _Almost_**.

 _September 18th, 1991_

She'd never _meant_ to get used to his presence but she did rather quickly. Juniper became accustom to his silence and cool, polite demeanor. She didn't even know the sound of the boy's _voice_ until a couple of weeks after their first meeting. They'd both fallen in to a compatible routine and Jack's suspicion never seemed to leave, although his comfort toward her increased-if only slightly. But then one day he'd seemingly _snapped_ , cornered Juniper between the brick of the school wall that had bits of gum crusted on it and the railing of stairs that would cut you from rust if you weren't careful. His eyes swirls with black, venom and a deep snarl set on his young, bruised face.

" ** _Why_**?" The monotone gruffness of his voice was surprising, but she was also delighted at finally hearing it, while she tried to comprehend the meaning of his words she also tried to find what exactly he was asking in the first place; **_why_** , _what_?

At her look of confusion his gaze grew agitated and a growl ripped through his throat, his frown only deepened. His limbs, while graceful, were awkwardly long and his height, while under the average man, was above the average sixth grader.

"What do you _want_? **_Why_** are you _trying_ to be my _friend_?" Juniper just cocked her head at him and shrugged.

"I hate to tell ya', but I don't _really_ have any _secret motive_ … I just _like_ you." She could tell from the look in his eyes that he didn't believe her, but the stiff nod he gave told her he was trying to, and that was good enough for her.


	2. September xx, 1991

_September 23rd, 1991_

Juniper pulled a cigarette out and offered Jack one, which he took stiffly.

She smiled, they had a dynamic... _sorta_. A _you scratch my back, I scratch_ _yours_ kinda thing. At first it was really nice but now, _most_ of the time the repetitiveness made her _itch_ , like something inexpiable was coming- _it always was_. With routine came anticipation and with anticipation came disappointment... or _dependence_ , while the timid Juniper liked Jack's presence-she couldn't begin to rely on him, that would be a horrible mistake that she should definitely steer clear of, _unfortunately_ for Juniper, _she didn't know how to drive_.

The idea of dependence on someone, it made you weak, but as the weeks passed it was difficult _not_ to rely on Jack, because he was a _very_ loyal, reliable person. Even in his silent stares and malicious outbursts toward those who tested his patience. Most times the only barrier in their little friendship was communication. Juniper wasn't very cordial herself, and the only conversation Jack offered _most_ of the time was playful teasing, which was very limited limited exchange in itself. _Truth be told_ , the Napier boy made her quite nervous at times, his eyes reminded her of a shark's-they cut through you in a way that was indescribable, almost _soulless_. Juniper knew that even a confident, strong willed man would become anxious beneath those eyes.

She'd seen it happen multiple times with teachers and the older children alike. It was something that made her feel apprehensive and secure in the oddest way. Like she could confide in someone for the first time in her life without worry, but the caution that came with looking into the dark brown orbs gave her goosebumps from hell. Not that she'd ever admit that to anyone.

Even with the chilly air that surrounded them, Juniper's cheeks burned with a flush as she felt intensity of Jack's stare every so often. She found herself likening his eyes to that of a burnt out ember, dark and unforgiving and yet still warm with life. She didn't think she had a choice in her fondness for the reclusive Jack Napier, it was something that was out of her hands and she'd just have to come to accept with time.

Juniper stomped out the fallen filter bud with a small sigh.

 _September 27th , 1991_

Jack was good at school.

He'd ace tests and worksheets he'd never even studied for, his time in class was spent rigidly staring out the window, alongside Juniper. When Jack had been called out for this, he'd let them accuse him of cheating, not because he was guilty, Juniper blew that idea off as soon as it'd crossed her mind. More than likely, it was because he simply didn't have the energy to deny the false accusations thrown at him day by day, but when they'd secluded him off to hook him up to various tools and test his mind, they found out then, that Jack Napier was simply a genius.

When haughty teachers would try to challenge his knowledge, he'd simply sit back, unresponsive and ignore their harassment. But Juniper knew for a fact that if he truly wanted to, Jack could dissect them bit by bit, and prove to them the true insignificance of their mind compared to his. He never admitted this, but quite a few times Juniper had jumped to his defense and gotten sent out immediately for her knife-like words at the pathetic excuses of authority. The only reward for her sacrifice was the small quirk of Jack's down turned mouth that could easily be labeled one of his many smirks, but Juniper knew it was the beginning stages of the stretch of a smile.

Juniper herself however, had never really been outstanding at anything other than art, truth be told it was her own fault. Time in class was spent daydreaming of impossible scenarios that would never be reality, it was useless to attempt to stop her wandering mind, while in the middle of a boring lecture from her monotonous math teacher. The classroom was almost bare and the dull colors didn't help to liven the atmosphere up any. It smelled of moth balls and fuzzy, dust that clearly covered each surrounding surface-it was even worse when the teacher would turn the lights off to use the board at the front of the classroom.

 _September 27th_ _was no different._

A low snore brought her from _la la land_ and she turned to Jack beside her, his head rested on the desk and his lips slightly parted. She nearly snorted aloud but decided against drawing attention to the scene when she noticed the dark circles beneath his closed eyes, they were a pretty color of purple and swirled in lines of faded pink-Juniper found herself wondering if they were actually bruises. There had been few moments like this one-when she could see him slightly relaxed and she figured there would be few in the future as well so she took from him what she could and let her eyes travel over Jack.

The sandy colored curls covered his head in wild locks and many times she'd watched as he brushed them from his face in annoyance, one dared to tickle the top of his eyelid even now and she willed it not to disturb his slumber. The rise and fall of his chest had a rough sound to it, like he was in the peak of a chest cold, Juniper lay her head on the desk to watch the way his fingers would twitch as he slept the better part of his day away. She looked away quickly when the bell rang, slightly embarrassed she'd been watching the narrow eyed blond for so long.

But she smiled lightly when she saw him wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth and blearily look around, like reality was the true dream world. The both of them packed up quietly as the other children rushed about, in too much of a hurry to get to their next classor meet with friends. When the two of them finally stood from their chairs Juniper decided to play it cool and shoved her half-completed math notes at his chest to copy, with a smirk on her face.

She looked over briefly in English to catch Jack's eye across the classroom, they were all-supposed to be-reading 'The Boy In the Striped Pajamas' but instead it seemed he'd been more... occupied. Juniper reached down to trace patterns into the fabric of her pants, her fingers were shaking nervously at the feeling of dark eyes on her. The jeans were ripped in various places and a bit baggy, too long for her legs, the bottoms torn from being stepped on-they'd been her older sister's when she was younger. Juniper's eyes furrowed as the feeling of being watched didn't leave and-sure enough-when she glanced up, he was still looking, his dark eyes locked on her. The small frown on his lips confused her and made her wonder if she'd done something wrong, she hadn't. It took a couple of moments for her to realize that Jack was spaced out, off in his own world and staring straight through her without falter. It made her body go rigid at the look in his eyes. While Juniper herself was guilty of zoning out at inopportune times Jack seemed to brood rather than daydream.

He'd stare into space as well but there was a malice laced in the gleam of his eyes that was as clear as a shard of glass. There was no telling what he thought of-but when she saw him that way... she pictured the embers she'd described his eyes as so many times before, flaring back to a burning point, the coal stones had tricked her into believing they'd gone out long ago and were just waiting for her back to be turned before it'd engulf her from behind and pull her into the flame. Juniper knew Jack was one of those people who imagined the world differently from others.

She'd like to think of herself as open minded, and while she tried to pull off the rough, cool exterior she normally possessed, she still felt unease prickle at the back of her neck. Jack Napier was another level of human, like he hadn't even come from Earth, only decided to occupy it for a while before he set off onto something greater, Juniper smiled. Jack was, indeed, something greater. More than a boy with a few bruises, more than a reclusive soul, he had the potential to be anything he wished to be, whatever he saw fit. It was his for the taking.

When she looked back up his hair covered his face, his nose was practically shoved in the novel. When he'd looked away she didn't know but Juniper could still feel the hot coals burning the skin of her face as though she'd sought out warmth and stepped too close to the flame. She traced her hands over her arms in attempt to control the goosebumps that had appeared and tried to focus on the words in front of her.

It was an innocent friendship at first.


	3. December xx, 1991

_December 13th, 1991_

The other children didn't understand Juniper.

In the beginning of grade school it had hurt, and been a massive vulnerability for Juniper to deal with day by day. Instead of trying to fit in with her peers Juniper spent her time building up walls and creating a shell around herself that made her seem aloof and cold-as expected it drove others away-If they couldn't accept her then they didn't deserve her. As time passed, it stopped having any impact on her at all, mostly, she was just left alone, which she preferred over judgmental company in the long run. Although it was difficult to face reality without anyone by her side and the isolation from other people made her social skills dwindle in the distance, she found the quiet to be peaceful... _sometimes_.

Juniper Heden had accepted her exile from the normal, civil, society long ago- _until_ the Napier boy had come along.

Now- _now_ , she had an ally- _maybe_ even a companion.

She no longer felt the need to lash out rudely toward others for her lack of communal skills, she could even say she'd gotten _used_ to having someone by her side during the majority of the day. There was still barely any form of communication, but she'd take his abrasive exterior that came with an odd structure of companionship over anyone else.

Jack had made her go soft- _kinda_.

So, that was what led Juniper to her predicament on December 17th , her sixth year-face down on the pavement, her nose bloodied and cheek scraped. A month or two ago and whoever the offender would've never gotten the _chance_ , but at that moment in time, she'd felt her eyes flooding with moisture;the pathetic proof of her surprise and embarrassment.

Loud, goading laughter had rung in her ears like an echo and she willed herself to go deaf to avoid the harassing noise.

It seemed someone had stuck their leg out in the crowd and effectively knocked her feet from beneath her, each pupil rushed to get to their class on time and trampled above her in a rush, _no one_ slowed for the girl who lay, bleeding on the ground. Her dark hair had mangled into the shallow wound on her face and she pushed it behind her ears to remove it from her vision.

To Juniper's horror she wasn't even _angry_ -just a bit shaken up and bitter at her own shock toward the event.

The sound of skin on skin contact made her look up.

There, not three feet away, Jack stood above the snotty seventh grader, Tyler Keffle, beating him to a pulp. It wouldn't have been an exaggeration to say that Tyler was crying like a baby, he was sobbing, _loudly_. His friends stood back, in a circle, and looked on in there own bewilderment. Various cracking sounds were heard and Juniper could have easily guessed that Keffle's nose had been broken _long_ ago, he sat on his hands and knees, gagging and spitting up thick blood that looked like tangled veins.

It seemed only Juniper noticed the way Jack's eyes lit up, the embers had caught aflame once more and instead of the controlled burn they held on a normal circumstance, it was a rage filled wildfire, the usual malice that surrounded had multiplied. Much to her chagrin and dread, there was a smile on his face, _genuine and full,_ not small-most definitely _not_ boyish. _The smile of a madman_. She noticed it fade away and Juniper decided then to look up, back into his eyes, that were now staring back at her, blankly.

The world seemed to stop then, as she watched him check over her wounds-with a downward turn of his lips. Juniper hated to admit the feeling of reliance that weigh heavily on her chest and in that moment, she begrudgingly admitted to herself that Jack Napier was truly her _best_ friend. The first person she could depend on, truly trust and confide in. While he may be detached and seemingly _very_ violent, he was what she'd had; _she'd never had anyone better._

It seemed the teachers and administrators around were moving in slow motion as the hauled Jack back from Tyler Keffle's broken and weeping form, that lay, slumped on the ground. Jack didn't resist but it was obvious that they were rougher than necessary as his arms were pulled behind him and his blonde curls swung in front of his face. Her peers had sat in huddled groups, whispering as they'd stared at the bloodied crumpled body of Tyler and Jack's retreating back. She could already hear the wail of an ambulance, that had probably been rushing through the city, to save the little snot from his current state.

But Juniper was still stuck on the glint swirling within Jack's tragically inflamed eyes.

 _December 16th, 1991_

Regret wasn't an emotion Juniper felt often.

But as she sat alone- _old habits die hard_ -underneath the bleachers, she'd felt it for a number of things.

 _One reason_ was because she'd started to count on the presence of Jack Napier, like she just knew he'd be there. But he _wasn't_ and it was _her_ fault. That was the other explanation for her regret, she hadn't taken _up_ for _herself_ , and Jack had gotten in trouble for doing it instead. If she hadn't relied on him in the first place she wouldn't have gotten comfortable, and in turn that _boy_ wouldn't have had the opportunity to put her in the situation she had needed to protect herself from.

But she did, she did count on Jack's companionship and she _did_ feel safe around him and that _did_ in fact lead her to getting her _ass kicked_ and Jack being suspended for a whole _week_. Juniper rolled her eyes at herself, for being so _pathetic_ , for wanting the Napier boy around, for being _weak_ around her ' _classmates_ _';_ she should have known they'd jump at her the second her guard was down. It puzzled her that she hadn't reacted quickly enough, but it was what had happened. That was the _situation_ she'd _been_ in and that was the way it'd panned out, there was _no use_ in mulling over some dripped milk, _especially_ when the bottle had already been thrown away.

Juniper sighed and took a drag from her cigarette. I _t was gonna' be a long week._

 _December 19th, 1991_

She'd almost ran and hugged him.

When she saw his small figure approaching through the wood line, the baggy clothes he wore hung around him in their usual wrinkles and his blonde locks were unwashed, she'd almost, _almost_ , ran toward him and wrapped him in an embrace. Because she'd _missed_ him, because she wanted to _thank_ him. But, the fresh looking bruise on his cheek reminded her of the dynamic of their relationship; _who they were_ , and she kept quiet, only offered him the cigarette from between her fingers when he was a step away.

Juniper didn't say anything about the small purpling blemish on his face, just beneath his eye, on the small, round of his cheekbone. _She never did_.

Jack didn't like talking about normal topics, and bringing up the newest, _most_ apparent sign of his abuse wouldn't _snap_ him into conversation. She _did_ care however, _a lot_ , more than she ever had, or most likely would. _Jack was her friend_ , and she'd be there if he wanted to talk, or just sit in silence and avoid the problem altogether _-she'd be there._

But the look in his eyes was all she needed to offer him a withering smile and drop the thought altogether.


	4. March xx, 1992-February xx, 1994

_March 16, 1992_

 _Jack had problems breathing._

It hadn't always been dilemma, in fact the issue only appeared weeks before. Juniper knew better than to point it out, Jack would lie and say he was fine- _there was no use in wasting her breath when there was_ ** _clearly_** _something wrong_. It didn't take an _Einstein_ to make that observation _-after a few drags from a cigarette he'd begin to cough_ , or _wheeze_ -even his _normal_ breathing had a rasp to it. At first she'd thought it'd go away, a simple _chest cold_ and nothing more, but it'd only worsened over time.

 _Still_ , Juniper didn't say anything.

She knew him better than that, at least she would've liked to think so. They were alike in many ways; _stubbornness_ _,_ was one of the many. But she wasn't just going to let Jack get sick over his ego or some _stupid_ addiction that she'd probably been the blame for anyhow-she decided to take things into her own hands.

So, when Juniper saw Jack that morning she told him that her mom had found her cigarettes and that she wouldn't be able to give him smokes any longer. Jack had coughed, and his brow furrowed at the forehead, she was a good liar, but Jack was also good at reading her. Instead of saying anything he shrugged and they'd walked inside together, side by side.

 _The lack of nicotine had an obvious impact on both of their moods._

 _Multiple_ times throughout the day she'd been tempted to throw the half empty pack at Jack and just tell him to _shove it_ , but he'd start off on _another_ one of his coughing fits and she'd find herself rolling her eyes with a loud sigh.

 _She'd been doing a lot of sighing._

His usual playful sarcasm was laced with bitterness and quite a few times he'd cut his seemingly black eyes her way. Juniper just hoped it'd be over soon so she could think about something _other_ than her wheezing best friend.

 _March 20, 1992_

It even a few days later and Jack had looked better, the coughing had stopped almost completely and the rasp in his breath sounded much better. His skin even appeared less pale and sickly. The dark circles still remained, but they'd faded just a bit. She herself felt better knowing she'd helped him, she had to admit it'd been worth it to see him somewhat healthy again.

Juniper couldn't help but feel proud- _even with her own access,_ she hadn't smoked.

She'd been paranoid that Jack would sniff it out and there would be hell to pay.

 _February 6th, 1994_

It was in eighth grade that Juniper noticed the way Jack would glare at the other boys.

For what had seemed to be _no reason_ -she'd be mindlessly talking to him about an art project or a book she'd read and wanted him to read and catch his icy stare and clenched fists, focused somewhere off behind her. At first it'd pissed her off that he was so easily distracted from something she wanted to share with him, but then she just wanted to know what he was looking at.

She never said anything about it, would just make a face or sigh in annoyance and walk off-he'd always follow and pester her like it hadn't happened. But, Juniper hadn't really ever found out what it was that he was looking at.

 _Until she did._

She'd been rambling to him, about her grades;she'd been having some issues with math and science lately and the teachers were giving her an even harder time-when she'd caught his brown eyed scowl, his lanky frame that towered a few inches above her went stiff and he looked almost murderous.

Quickly, she'd turned to see the unlucky sucker who Jack was glaring daggers into, when she'd caught sight of Tyler Keffle, and his large friend group, murmuring to themselves, but the odd thing was, she herself seemed to be the object of their attention. Juniper had raised an eyebrow at their bizarre behavior and shifted uncomfortably beneath their stare, they hadn't even breathed in she or Jack's direction since the ill-fated day their beloved- _pathetic_ -Keffle had been _beaten_ into submission by Jack himself.

Juniper wasn't oblivious, just unaccustomed to the attention of the opposite gender. She'd always been seen as a weirdo, and outcast and boys had never really noticed her.

 _Jack looked ready to kill._

 _February 14, 1994_

 _Valentines day was just another day to Juniper Heden._

That is, _until_ she'd gotten a bundle of bright red roses, in a fancy bundle of white wrapping and ribbon. Her first thought had been Jack, but when she stopped to really ponder it, she knew this wouldn't be something he'd do, not in the slightest. He was her best friend, this was intimate. Not to mention it was just out of character, she would laugh in the face of anyone who said Jack Napier had gotten her flowers.

So _,_ _she laughed at herself._

For a moment.. And then went on about finding _who'd_ placed the flowers there in the first place.

 _Who would give_ ** _her_** _flowers?_

Juniper searched for a tag, and inside found a heart shaped note, written in what seemed to be black ink, the cliche words made her feel panicked- _Be my valentine?_ -and then the next almost made her almost throw up, it was signed in dramatic cursive writing- _Bruce Wayne._

Her stomach twisted in nervous knots but she just pushed it away with doubt because there was _no_ way.

Juniper rolled her eyes and snorted to herself, _no way._

Apparently there _was_ a way.

She'd almost fallen over sideways with anxiety when Bruce Wayne found her after class, with a charming- _smug_ -smile on his face. It had to be a joke, Juniper waited for the punchline.

 _It didn't come._

He was popular, and regularly talked about among her fellow classmates, he looked like a golden child- _he was._ While he wore the _nicest_ designer clothes, shiny shoes and slicked back hair-she wore baggy jeans and a shirt she'd had since elementary school, with her scuffed black shoes and worn out belt. Bruce had kind eyes-they weren't _dark_ enough.

 _She preferred blondes._

Juniper felt sick to her stomach and unworthy to even be in his presence with her hand-me-down clothing and messy hair, how could Gotham's Golden Boy send _her_ flowers? She smiled politely- _but it came out as more of a grimace_ _-_ and hurried away, Bruce Wayne looked both surprised and confused _-she'd felt guilty but he was better off that way._

Not knowing.

 _Communication never had been her forte._


	5. February xx, 1994 continued

_February 14th, 1994_ _*continued*_

There were _many_ things Juniper was not good at, _math, science, communication_ , just being _around_ people in general, and hiding things from people she was close to-while she was a good liar, things that she didn't plan out ended up in disaster and in _no way_ had she _ever_ planned for Bruce Wayne, to give her roses.

 _So_ , as soon as she left the school building and saw Jack there, waiting, _almost_ patiently, she took a shaky breath and headed toward him. Long tendrils of her own hair whipped her in the face painfully and her lips had begun to chap as soon as she neared him. Juniper hoped for _once_ that the cold would actually cause their exchange to _shorten_ so she wouldn't have to face Jack's wrath at something that wasn't even her fault-another boy's attention.

She gave herself a pat on the back for at least placing the flowers _inside_ her bag and not throwing them about like some **_smitten_** _girl_.

The self approval didn't last long as Jack's dark eyes narrowed at her, she made it a point to be as innocent as possible and smiled at him quickly, her own hazel eyes meeting his before she glanced back down. Jack raised an eyebrow and began to walk down the street with her at his side, she felt him look over every few minutes and despite the chilly weather her cheeks were burning from the odd amount of treatment he gave, as he normally glared off into space and remained silent.

" _Juuuu_ -ni-pe _r_..." Jack's voice had gotten deeper and _now_ _,_ in the rare occurrence he would speak she always found herself listening intently with a constant blush.

Juniper glanced over curiously, and tried to raise her eyebrow like she normally would, but instead her face twitched at the intense curiosity in his eyes. He stopped walking, and in turn she did as well, turning to face him, she did her _best_ to look confused. The wind blew in hisses and seemed to prick her skin through her worn sweater, even as she pulled on the sleeves with the tips of her fingers to cover as much skin as possible-Jack wore a simple, thin sweater of his own-with the sleeves rolled up.

She briefly wondered how he was _surviving_ because it was _fucking freezing._

Juniper looked back up to see his lips pouted in what _seemed_ to be annoyance and his eyes squinted in an exaggerated form of suspicion, she snorted on her laughter, her cheeks turning a rosie shade of pink once more and her eyes sparkling with amusement. Juniper and Jack almost never made physical contact, unless it was to playfully tease the other. _So_ , when she pushed his shoulder playfully to find the sweater warm on contact- _his skin seemed to be on fire beneath it, her hand warmed almost instantly_ -she pondered if Jack was ill, but didn't question it, just pulled away quickly and met his gaze once more.

" _Yes_ , Jack?" She asked in almost a singsong tone, to ease any doubt he had over her body language.It didn't seem to help. Jack only raised an eyebrow in actual aggravation and his nose twitched with a snarl slightly. Juniper almost jumped back when he grabbed the arm of her sweater in a fist.

" _What're_ you _hiding_?" Juniper knew he hadn't wanted her to see it but she wouldn't have been able to miss the vulnerability churning in the dark brown depths as they'd stared back at her. It really was nothing, Bruce giving her some flowers hadn't meant anything, and while she'd told herself this a brick had lodged it's way in her chest and rested there, heavy and painful.

"Don't be upset, it's really nothing.." Juniper moved to grab his arm, anything she could to comfort him. She watched his forehead wrinkle with frustration at her and she didn't know how to translate the words to him, to make him understand, that it didn't matter, that she'd never leave him and he didn't need to worry. That she'd be there and she understood. As she stood there, looking back at Jack with her hate pulled over her hair she felt so stupid-she should know by now how to talk to her best friend, but she didn't. She lost the opportunity to as the sound of her name being called rung out, she didn't turn-but watched as Jack looked up and his face darkened into the murderous scowl she'd seen few times before.

Juniper turned to see Bruce, crossing the street toward them, the smile that broke out across her face was uncontrollable and also a mistake-she could already feel Jack's anger almost surround them both like an aura-he hated Bruce Wayne, not because he knew him personally or any personal experience, but because he was everything Jack couldn't stand in a person, the rich type that didn't have to work for anything, that could do no wrong, someone that everyone loved no matter how disgusting or conniving their personalities may be, that had everything handed to them. Juniper had always told Jack he was being unfair towards the people he didn't know, that he couldn't judge them based on their wealth or social standard.

To which Jack replied that he most certainly could and went on a rant about how people were all the same.

Bruce reached them in no time, he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around before he met her eyes with a small smile. Juniper paid no attention, just absentmindedly returned it again as she focused on Jacks, who was now scowling openly at Bruce, who seemed to not notice.

"You never answered my question..." It was said in uncharacteristic shyness and she watched Wayne squirm in a nonchalant manner. She could practically see Jack's cruel, mocking smile tearing holes into the back of her head, he appeared beside her in an instant and- _as she had guessed_ -the smile was there.

" _Questio_ ** _n_**?" He grinned a little too wide for it to be real and clasped his hand on her shoulder in a seemingly friendly manner;his fingers dug into the skin beneath her sweater roughly.

Bruce nodded and Juniper tried to communicate with her eyes _not_ to elaborate but failed- _as per usual_. Instead he nodded at Jack in a good-hearted manner.

"Yeah, it's Valentines day, and _you_ _know_..." It was an awkward revelation and Bruce tried to shrug so Jack would understand what he'd asked Juniper and Jack had understood-he wasn't stupid-he was just an asshole, so Juniper watched in horror as Bruce got more uncomfortable by the second and Jack made a face of confusion that was way too over done to be real in any way. Bruce struggled to continue, but Juniper cut in to spare him, nodding quickly and waving her hands about to just be out of her current situation.

"Sure, _sure_... We'll meet at Tom and Sally's, _yeah_? By the library on the corner?" The words rushed from her mouth as she did her best to just get him _away_ before Jack decided to _strike_. When Bruce nodded, his eyes lighting up with a smile, she let out a sigh and watched as he crossed the street again to catch his lift.

Juniper didn't realize what a huge mistake she'd made until she'd turned and saw the unusual amount of emotion just racing across Jack's face and through his eyes. The only one she could truly pin point was wrath, the other was foreign and unfamiliar to _anything_ she'd seen before. She gasped at his snarl and Jack was suddenly in her face.

"So, lit **tle** J _uuu_ -nipe _r_ 's gotta _Valen_ ** _tine_** , _huh_?" The usual sarcasm filled tone was more of a his and Juniper couldn't remember a time she'd been more terrified. Jack didn't seem to care that his grip was now bruising both her shoulder and wrist in its steely grip, or he didn't notice. She didn't care though, if anything Juniper just felt _guilty_ , for reasons she didn't quite understand, if _anything_... she felt she deserved his bruising fingers.

"Gonna _run_ off with the rich Wayne boy?" His face scrunched in what seemed to be anger, "I _never_ thought **_you_** **** _of all people_ would fall at _another's_ feet for something so mundane..." Jack growled in a way that made it seem he figured she'd fall at **his** feet, and looked down at her, she froze-like a deer in headlights, when he shook her by the shoulders she seemed to snap out of her stupor. His accusing eyes were quite possibly the reason for her impulsive outburst, but she couldn't contain her own anger, or the nagging feeling of guilt either.

"I'm not Jack, I just panicked! Why're you so _mad_ anyhow, it's not like _you_ care!" Juniper pushed him away slightly but he bounced back just as quickly.

"You know what, you're righ **t** , Juniper-not like I give a _shit._ About _you_ or your rich _boy toy_ _._ " Jack snarled and the tears that welled up in her eyes embarrassed her, so instead of continuing the pointless argument she turned and walked away in long strides, only stopping when she got to the front porch steps.

The time spent with Bruce hadn't been ideal.

Or even _worth_ the argument with Jack for that matter. They'd gotten some hot chocolate together, and talked about _school_. Granted Juniper's conversation's with Jack weren't _all that great_ - **he** could make her laugh with a _single_ look and while Bruce was nice, he was a bit _boring_ in her opinion.

But Juniper did her best to keep from judge mental thoughts and instead promised Bruce that they could hang out again sometime- _as friends._

 _February 15, 1994_

The next day was just as cold as the one before.

The sky was dark even with the early hours, the wind just as brutal as the say before. The clouds hung low in the sky, lurking in the vast emptiness and rumbling loudly. The ground was damp from the fallen rain and the sullen setting was not lost on Juniper-if anything she felt it fit perfectly.

Juniper hated the rain, _storms_ in general.

She'd been counting on walking to school with Jack by her side to ease her discomfort toward the weather but _he_ hadn't shown up. Left her alone to deal with the gnawing feeling that ate away at her stomach and jump at every growl from the sky above.

He'd been in there first class, and she'd tried multiple times to start conversation with him, but to no avail. She was finally getting the short end of the stick with Jack, feeling like an outsider in her own friendship with him. Back at square one, each comment she made would be ignored altogether or he'd cut his dark eyes her way.

 _The feeling in her stomach worsened._

Finally in art class, when he'd gone to get some paints she'd blocked his way on her route out, finally making eye contact with him for more then a few seconds at a time. He'd grunted in annoyance and looked down at her-while he was only inches taller she felt he was grew each day, and now, it seemed like he towered above her with ease.

" _Jack_.." She'd said simply, and when she'd tugged the hem of his sleeve like a distressed kitten, begging for attention, his eyebrow raised at her. She couldn't think of the words to say, or how to say them so he wouldn't be angry or upset at her anymore. But _as always,_ what she had to say just came out as a stupid question that had an _obvious_ answer.

 _"_ Are you _mad_ at me?" The quirk of his lips was a good sign but the anger in his eyes didn't falter. So, she continued. "I mean... you weren't _there_ this morning, and you keep _ignoring_ me, and yesterday you…you _yelled_ at me." She sounded like a baby and she knew it, Jack was the only friend she'd ever had, she didn't know _how_ to handle such things from him, but the softening of his brown eyes egged her on so, she continued, "And I _did_ go out with Bruce, but he's _only_ my _friend_ , and not even my _best_ friend like _you_ -just a _little_ _"_ She pinched her fingers to emphasize-"more than an acquaintance and I'm _real_ sorry, Jack. I didn't _mean_ to make you mad at me I just do _stupid_ things sometimes.." She took a breath and looked up from her feet to see him looking her over thoughtfully.

" ** _Poor_** , _little_ , ** _Joo_** n ** _y_** _._ " There was a pang in her chest at first until she recognized the fond sarcasm as it rolled off his tongue, and he rolled his eyes playfully. Juniper let out a breath she hadn't know she'd been holding and moved slightly to let him pass, instead Jack grabbed her by the arms and tugged her closer, until his nose almost brushed her own, his dark eyes eerily close, and the green that swirled in them transfixed her-she'd never seen eyes so beautiful.

"It's alright," His brown eyes hardened quickly and he grabbed her jaw painfully tight " _But_ , _d_ _on't_ let it happen _again_ , _Juuu_ -nipe _r_... _Ever_."

He forced her head into an obedient nod.


	6. April-June xx, 1995

**AN: I know this may not be read but I would like to thank you for such supportive reviews, it honestly means the world to me and is one of the few things that manage to bring a smile to my face. To see that my work is appreciated is such an honor and it really helps me to stay motivated, thank you so much. xxx**

 ***Also, if you could drop a review about the feeling the story gives you as you read it that'd be absolutely amazing-I can never decide as it's a story of my own. Thank you again, much love. xxx**

 _April 10th, 1995_

 _It was a very rare occurrence to see Jack laugh._

So rare in fact that Juniper had never seen him do it until her freshman year of high school, the sporadic moment that his dark eyes would squint with amusement and small wrinkles would form on the freckled skin of his nose had only been something she'd pictured in her head while daydreaming in class, it had been an absence in her life, _until it hadn't_. She and Jack been walking through the halls together side by side, the students that crowded the middle had parted instantly as they made their way through, like the two were a disease, but not one of them made eye contact as Juniper had looked around, nervous and slightly annoyed. He'd been gone for a couple of weeks which wasn't unusual, Jack was always into some kind of trouble-the only reason he hadn't been kicked out of the school was because of his extreme level of intelligence. On most accounts it was because he'd said something that threatened another students safety, and if anyone new anything about Jack at all, it was that he never gave empty promises.

 _This time_ however, it had been rumored that he'd had a violent encounter with the beloved Bruce Wayne, and Juniper couldn't be sure if it had been truth or _not_ , as Bruce hadn't been to school either. But she was slightly miffed at Jack because, as always, he wouldn't tell her anything, and if Bruce had been hurt at her expense she didn't know what she'd do. He probably wouldn't want anything to do with her, and while she would've liked to pretend that she didn't like Wayne, she _did_.

So, she was a _bit_ irritated at Jack, something that didn't happen very often.

Jack, however, picked up on this immediately, and it just pissed her off more that he seemed to find it _funny_. He'd been avoiding her questions with ones of his own and poking at her relentlessly, all the while snickering to himself about it when she'd snap. But, after a bit he'd had enough of the silence- _something very surprising_ -and had actually began a _friendly_ conversation- _or tried to_.

"So, Joony, how was life _without_ me?" He'd slouched slightly in order to lower his height to her's and whisper in her ear, the nickname almost made her smile, _almost_. But the blush that colored her cheeks was uncontrollable and made Juniper curse herself for being weak. She'd shrugged, mumbling under her breath and continued to walk forward, only stopping when she noticed Jack wasn't behind her, she let out a loud sigh at him when she turned around and saw him standing behind her a few feet where she'd left him.

"What was that, _Ju_ -ni-pe _r_? I don't think I _heard_ ya' right." Jack cocked his head to the side and his low, teasing tone was laced with an aggressive, chipper lilt. Juniper growled in frustration and stomped her foot, realizing immediately she looked like a small child having a temper tantrum.

"Oh, so what you're deaf now?" His dark eyes narrowed with amusement and warning at her words, so she continued, "I _said_ , it was miserable," Juniper paused watching his smirk and returned it with a slier one, " _Almost_ like having you _here_."

She watched Jack struggle with himself, she was only a few steps away and could clearly see his mouth twitching-at first she'd thought he was having a stroke or at any moment going to close the distance and finally end her. But within seconds his eyes had lightened in the sun's glare on them and he'd thrown his head back, tossing back blonde curls that had been neglected from cuts, and the sound he let out was something that made Juniper's former blush return. She was transfixed by the lovely sound of the deep roar of laughter that filled the air, and she found herself openly admiring him for the first time.

It was no secret that Jack was attractive-but she'd never really been attracted to him before, she'd seen multiple girls staring at her best friend with flirtatious stares as he walked by, but _never_ had she been one of them. Sure, she'd noticed his physical changes, like his sharpened features, and pouty lips, the way his shirts fit against him instead of hanging around him in rags. More than once she'd stared at the tanned, toned arms and long, agile fingers as he wrote in class, never had it been in interest but mere wonder of _when_ it'd happened.

 _Now_ , however, she couldn't help but feel refreshed at the sight of his wide grin, and never had his eyes been _so_ soft. When Juniper felt what only could be described as butterflies in her stomach she'd closed her eyes in dread, finally looking away before he noticed her longing stare. When Jack finally caught up with her in a single stride with his long legs they made their way in peaceful silence, Jack with a tilt to his normally frowning lips and Juniper with a heavy heart of realization.

 _That day in April, Juniper's twisted crush on Jack Napier began_.

 _May 5th, 1995_

 _Bruce returned to school._

In her own reluctance to seek him out she'd avoided his existence entirely, but had thankfully heard that the rumors had been untrue, he'd simply been on vacation with his parents, rich privileges and all. Juniper knew that it was wrong to evade someone she considered a friend, but she'd truthfully never been the one to seek him out, he'd always come to her with friendly conversation and kind, hopeful brown eyes. It was such a contrast to Jack that she didn't mind, and she often found that she needed a break from her constant thoughts of the Napier boy-ever since middle school she'd revolved her life around him.

 _Sometimes_ it was best to distract herself from Jack, a majority of the time his presence suffocated her in a way that was her own fault and she felt pathetic when every thought was about him, in a good way or bad. Her reliance on him had taken a turn for the worst and it twisted her gut with apprehension to see the morbid pleasure in Jack's eyes because he knew. He knew that without him she'd be alone and she depended on his company with desperation. But he didn't know how far it had gotten, just how bad it really was, Juniper had an advantage, because she knew that while she may need Jack, he needed her as well, even though he'd deny it... he needed her much more than she needed him.

 _But what did she know, after all, she was just a foolish girl with a crush, right?_

 _June 9th, 1995_

 _She hated the Summer break._

It was a time that loneliness returned to Juniper's life in full force, Jack seemed to disappear and she was left on her own, to read books and contemplate what she was doing with her life. It seemed to be a type of seasonal depression, but it was- _as everything else_ -meditated around Jack Napier. In every sense of the word, she was truly _lost_ without him. Not that _his_ reluctance to do anything outside of school was helpful or motivating in _any way_ , in fact it just left Juniper in a bout of self doubt and reclusive hatred toward others that was something most likely adapted from said _cause_ _of_. It began a round of questions that she couldn't answer and didn't think she really wanted the answer to anyway, _Did he even care about her? Did he miss her? Did he think of her? Did he want to spend time with her? Was he okay?_ She'd roll her eyes at herself in annoyance and go back to watching some stupid MTV show that wasn't _even_ all that entertaining.

 _Juniper hated Summer break._


	7. June xx, 1995

_AN: **I had a long winded author's note but it got deleted and I'm butt hurt over it, I just wanted to express my gratitude toward your reviews and tell you to keep them up because they're what motivated me to do more!**_

 _ **The long, 'ranty' reviews are the best thing in the world to me, never ever ever apologize they make me smile so much.**_

 _ **I wanted to thank those of you who responded to my question last time and gave me feedback, I'm going for nostalgic but warm feeling is close enough for me! It's about how the reader want to read it anyhow. I am in no rush for the story so they'll be teens for quite a while longer.**_

 _ **This OC is not mary sue or harleen quinzel there's no need to worry, I have plans for the character that will make that clear, no worries3**_

 _ **As for the Bruce being the same age, that's actually a fuck up on my part, my bad, heheh. I was too focused on Heath/Jack and Jupiter and I knew I wanted she and Bruce to have a thing. But I'm glad you're enjoying it! That's all that matters anyhow. And the storyline is still in place so it's okay for now!**_

 _ **I AM A MUNDANE WRITER AT BEST- I know this, but helping me get better won't hurt anyone, so, critiques are appreciated as well, just be polite and you'll receive the same, notice a problem? Help me to fix it.**_

 ** _onward we go!_**

 _June 22nd, 1995_

Juniper didn't truly believe in the word _coincidence_.

It was too far fetched and things that you wished would happen didn't just transpire on their own, that would be much too hopeful for a girl living in a place like Gotham. After days of moping around with her mind solely on the brown eyed, blonde named Jack Napier, Juniper decided that it was time to get out-the problem was she was lacking in the money department and the friend one as well. She wasn't someone who constantly needed a companion by her side-with the exception of said blonde boy that was currently too busy to even care if she was alive-She could go out alone and be fine, but it was difficult to find something to do in the city that didn't require cash or an adult. A long sigh escaped her and finally she'd accepted her fate of spending her afternoon in the local library with the rude librarian, Juniper would take anything over wasting another laying on the couch in her pajamas watching the same episodes of _'The Real World'_ over and _over_.

The walk to the library had never been anything notable, her house wasn't too far so the blistering heat was tolerable, and it had always been rather quite. Her neighborhood didn't have the best track record, but it certainly didn't have the worst either and in the crime infested city, the was pretty damn good. Juniper had just made her way through the treeline behind her house and into the next neighborhood over, when a gruff, displeased tone rang out over the sounds of the birds hidden in the trees, chirping in harmony. At first Juniper had ignored the sound, and kept her eyes cast down and focused on her scuffed up shoes against the pavement, but it seemed to just grow louder and louder with each second. She finally let her hazel eyes glance up from beneath her bangs, toward the house at the end of the street to see the very person that had taken up her thoughts nonstop over the past few weeks, shirtless, trudging behind a lawn mower with his tanned skin glistening in the summer sun.

A blush immediately crept over Juniper's pale freckled cheeks at the sight of Jack's naked torso, a few yards down from her. She was too busy admiring the way the muscles rippled along his arms to notice the man behind Jack, spewing out curse words at the teenager as he continued along the overgrown grass, seemingly ignoring him. When Juniper's eyes finally moved from Jack to the older man she was taken aback by the obvious similarities between the two, she'd always figured that if she did indeed, ever meet Jack Napier's father that he'd seem like some kind of monster, in all aspects of the word. But, as she'd observed from a distance the only unattractive thing on the man's face was the snarl on his lips as he fussed with his son. He was wearing a button up and some dressy slacks-something very uncommon to see in such weather-and his hair, that was a bit darker than Jack's was slicked back and almost the same length. He seemed to be less physically fit than his son but although Jack was seemingly growing an inch every week, he was much taller. The unnerving thing had been his eyes, while they were the same brown color, like Jack's, they were much more terrifying. The color could have been described as a continuous pool of black, but the violent experience in them was truly the worst part and had sent goosebumps over Juniper's skin, even with the melting temperatures.

Juniper stopped herself from staring for too long and the risk of being caught left an uncomfortable feeling in her chest, she didn't want to seem like some kind of stalker. But the inevitable situation of passing his house to get to the street made her continue her unsure path forward, instead of facing the circumstance head first she cast her gaze back down and did what she'd always done best, ignored the problem until she couldn't anymore. The first several steps had been promising and Juniper actually found herself hoping he'd do as he had done for the past few weeks and ignore her existence-or possibly just not notice her at all, but as she continued across the pavement, almost halfway past his house with hope weighing down her chest that he didn't see her, the sound of the lawnmower shutting off filled the atmosphere with the quiet hum of a plane passing in the sky above and Jack's deep voice, cutting over his father's, cast in her direction.

" _Joony_?" When Juniper turned with mock surprise at seeing him she wasn't expecting to be faced with the olive skinned Jack, squinting at her with brown eyes that were lightened from the sun, his skin had already collected more freckles from the exposure and she scolded herself for nearly swooning at the sight. She tried her best to keep her gaze focused on his face instead of leering at his body, and found it difficult with both Jack and his father's attention now turned to her. Juniper didn't know how to break the awkward tension that hung in the air and crossed her arms, as if cocooning herself from their gazes.

"Hiya', Jack.." She met his eyes again and was surprised again at the pleasant swirls of green that stared back at her, with an emotion that seemed almost like happiness at seeing her, her arms tightened around her own torso in apprehension and confusion. If he'd been looking forward to seeing her, why hadn't he ever tried before? She watched as his eyes traveled over form and the realization that she was in very revealing shorts made her bite down on her tongue in admonishment. Most people only ever seen her in baggy jeans and long sleeved shirts, the occasional short sleeve, but the hot weather had been too much for her and she'd yielded to it willingly-now she regretted that decision in embarrassment as she looked away from Jack's wandering eyes.

Both Jack and his father spoke at the same time, both voices laced slightly with accusatory satisfaction, "Who's your friend, Jacky?" and "You goin' somewhere, Joony?" Jack seemed to cringe away from his father's nickname but he kept his eyes on Juniper's without issue.

Jack cleared his throat, his forehead wrinkling from his furrowed brow, "Uh, dad, this is my _friend_ , Juniper." It was the first time he'd said her name normally, she'd noticed, the usual playful teasing wasn't even evident in his deep voice. Jack moved closer to her, and Juniper's breath hitched at his position right next to her, she couldn't remember a time he'd been closer, although there _had_ been many, _noted_ , he'd never been _so_ close, _shirtless_.

His father's eyes hadn't moved from her once as he stepped forward and offered his hand, which Juniper begrudgingly took with clipped politeness. " _Very_ nice to meet you, _Juniper_. I'm Jack's father, Henry... I _assume_ you haven't heard much of me before." As the man spoke with deceptive kindness all Juniper could think was, ' _What an ordinary name for such a vile monster.'_ The look in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Juniper, he wasn't asking with disappointment that his son had never mention his _dear old dad_ , he was making sure that Jack _hadn't_ said anything of his numerous accounts of abuse, Juniper could catch on quickly.

She smiled with false grace in her eyes and cheerily commented back, "Unfortunately, _no_ , Jack and I normally don't talk about anything besides our studies-he tutors me in our math and science classes." Juniper watched on as his dark, hovering gaze flickered from her for the first time over to Jack, to mockingly glare at his son, but she could see the threat that lay beneath the brown, experienced pools.

Jack returned his look before locking eyes with Juniper once more, a small quirk of the lips lit his face up as he looked her over once more, "Heading somewhere?" He repeated his inquiry from before with less enthusiasm as he seemed to register her discomfort and his father's listening ears. Juniper nodded quickly, and pushed her blunt bangs from her eyes with a small smile of her own, the goosebumps on her arms hadn't left since they'd appeared and the prickling feeling had started to annoy her.

"Yeah, I was just heading to the library," She began to back up, to continue her journey alone-anything to get out of her current predicament and avoid his father's detached eyes, but Jack wasn't having it, he stepped forward again with a slow nod and gestured toward his house.

"Let me just grab a shirt and I'll join you." Juniper was nodding before she could stop herself, the unease she'd felt before pushed aside at the opportunity of spending some time with Jack, it only returned full forced when she watched him jog away and disappear through the front door of his house. She turned back toward his father, in habitual politeness and smiled at him awkwardly, rocking on her heels in anxiousness, if she'd been wearing jeans she could almost guarantee she'd have been picking at the fabric.

"So, are you and my son..." The trailing of his sentence made it sound more accusatory and sexual than it truly was, and Juniper's ever present blush dusted across her cheekbones without fault, in return Jack's father smiled lewdly and let out a brief chuckle before Juniper shook her head quickly and glanced around, avoiding the older man's eyes with practice. The only thing that divided he and Jack from being the same person was his age, the slight wrinkles on the corner of his eyes and the lack of liveliness in them, his hair also didn't have as much blonde it seemed or curl to it. Juniper called these things out in her head loudly to stop the nervous bubble in her chest from comparing the two.

"No, no, of course not, we're just friends." It was something that she hated saying because it sounded suspicious and she couldn't label Jack as just a friend any longer, but she very well wasn't going to say, 'Oh, no, he's just the guy I've been pining over for months.' Instead she stuck with the story of 'just friends' and hoped he'd allow her to leave it at that. Jack, as always, came out just on time to save her from further embarrassment, he'd still been pulling a dark t-shirt over his head, his wild, long, blonde mane moving unruly through the fabric until he pulled it over his torso, he fixed her face with a smirk for staring and she could already feel his father's own burning her already rose colored cheeks.

"Lets go." Jack wrapped his hand around her elbow with ease and pulled her away from his heckling father, the feel of the calloused fingers against her soft, smooth skin was shamefully nice and she immediately comprehended the fact that Jack had never actually touched her bare skin before, she didn't say anything in hope that he wouldn't pull away but he did of course, as soon as they were a safe distance from his house he retracted his hand and swaggered down the street with her at his side.

He broke the silence and for the umpteenth time that day Juniper found herself surprised at Jack Napier, for actually being social. "So, I, uh, hope I'm not _interrupting_ any kind of _date_ with rich _boy_ toy or anything." His dark gaze found her's with ease and he raised an eyebrow. Juniper shook her head at the accusation and looked back down at her shoes.

"Of course not, why would you think that?" She let her hazel eyes rest on his face once more to see his own sweep over her revealing attire and a scoffed in embarrassment and shook her head, loose onyx locks swept in waves with action. "It's hot out, Jack." He seemed to consider this, and briefly accept it before turning back toward her, both brows raised in mock snoot this time.

"I've never seen you wear shorts _before_.."

Juniper glared at him this time, her nose scrunching up at remembering his absence for the past several weeks and all the Summer's before, how she'd sit in her room for hours simply contemplating their friendship and whether or not he truly even liked her, how many countless brain cells she'd lost from watching bland MTV shows on repeat. Finally Juniper turned toward him-her frown seemed to radiate across her face and Jack returned it with one of his own, "What?"

"You've never seen me _outside of school_ before, _Jack_. Every Summer you disappear and never even try to hang out with me... Do you even want me around?" She asked suddenly stopping and standing on the sidewalk, Jack did the same, his brow furrowed with thought-as if he'd never even noticed their friendship only went as far as schoolyard companions.

"Well, _you_ never did _either_ , _Joony_. And _of course_ I wantcha' around, I wouldn't be walking _a thousand miles_ to a _library_ if I didn't want to be around ya'.." Juniper admitted to herself that he was indeed, right, as always, it seemed. But her frown remained in place as she decided to trudge forward, only to be stopped by rough fingers wrapping around her arm once more.

" _Okaaaay_ , _Joony_ , you're right, I'll do my _very best_ to be a better _friend_ , _okay_?" The mocking playfulness in his voice is what really made the smile appear on her face but the promising words did add the flushed cheeks to that list, she nodded and he released her arm so they could continue walking.

The journey wasn't a long one and soon enough, they both stood in front of the library, Juniper continued through the door as Jack casually held it open, something stopped her from thanking him. She knew if she pointed the courteous gesture out he'd never do it again, it was best to just let Jack be subtle in his kindness toward her. The inside of the stuffy, yet cozy and dim lit room was cooler than it had been outside, but not overwhelmingly so and Juniper found herself thankful she'd decided to come here.

Jack's presence behind her was looming, like a dark shadow and she did her best to ignore it, but as she pulled the third book from the shelf and found that- _yet again_ , she couldn't concentrate on the words that lay in front of her on the hard cover, she turned and glared at him, the malice, however, was not there. He raised his eyebrows at her, as though he didn't understand what she'd meant the with the joking gesture, and Juniper paused as the dim light caught his features perfectly, in that moment Jack's face looked as though it had been carved from stone, sharp and thoughtful. She couldn't stop her eyes when they roamed his chiseled face with adoration and Juniper knew Jack could see her, he was too observant not to notice the shift in her gaze as it shifted over him. He'd probably known the moment her foolish, little crush had started, she scolded herself quietly.

Juniper turned away, but the dark brown eyes behind her continued to burn holes into the top of her head, she pretended to be reading over the words on the cover but the feeling of them on her had become suffocating quite quickly. She huffed at Jack in clear annoyance and it seemed to only motivate his childish antics, his hands went around her waist and poked her in the ribs with little force, but as she ignored him the pressure just grew. Juniper knew her sides would be bruised the next day for sure but she just silently pondered over the fact that Jack had yet again, touched her willingly.

"Jooooooony…" She continued to ignore him and the loud growl that met her ears with deep baritones ironically reminded her of a child that wasn't getting their way, but it didn't fail to send chills over her. She cut her eyes at Jack briefly before she returned them to the book, the pages flew up and nearly closed on her nose as it was snapped shut, long fingers that pulled it from her grasp and she watched as his dark eyes skimmed the back page of 'The Virgin Suicides', a deep hum was let out and he looked disinterested as he handed the book back to her, " _Booooorin_ g, the girls will die and the boys will be left to _pine after them, both even in death_ ," He looked off into the distance theatrically, "A, ah, bit _romanticizing_ and _dramatic_ for you, _Ju-_ ni- _per_.." He teased her, a smirk lifting his down turned mouth at her pouting lips.

" _I_ think it sounds _entertaining_ , and I'll have _you_ know, I _like_ nostalgic, _romanticizing_ stories, Ja- _ck_." She teased back and watched the humor grow like wildfire behind his eyes. He smirked again and carried the book without care, swinging it about as they walked toward the front desk, Juniper looked up at him in confusion, and slight panic at the foreboding social interaction. He looked down at her and cocked his head to the side with wonder, the blonde locks followed the movement and she shuffled her feet nervously.

"Well.." Jack gestured toward the checkout counter, where the stuffy librarian was watching them with a scowl.

"I..I don't have a library card…" She cast her eyes away from his as his brow furrowed.

"Then _what_ , _Jooooony_ , are we _doing_ at a library?" His lips quirked in a wry smile as he waited for her response.

" _Well_ , _normally_ y'know, I just kinda stick around here and… _read,_ while I can, at least…I wasn't expecting you to come along." Juniper bit her lip at her own timid voice and hoped she wasn't annoying him-and then felt pathetic for worrying about such a thing.

"Ah," Jack stepped forward, and reached into his own back pocket to pull out a leather, battered wallet and produced a card between his fingers, "Well, I'll be _damned_ if I'm gonna waste a day in a _stuffy_ library," He looked up to see the old librarian staring at him in admonishment, she looked away when her eyes met his, and he turned to Juniper with a teasing smirk and nudged her shoulder " _Especially not_ when I could be spending a day with my girl." He winked at her and although Juniper knew he was only joking, her chest swelled with pride as he referred to her as his, and the dusting pink of her cheeks returned. Jack laughed genuinely when she ducked away and scurried for the boo when the librarian held it, and the card both out. He cooly plucked it from between the woman's wrinkled fingers and followed after Juniper's distressed form.

When the blistering sun had finally settled below the horizon and the sky filled with contrasting splatters of vivid blues and purple like pink stroke marks, Jack and Juniper strolled their way up her driveway. Jack guided her with his hand on the dip of her back and Juniper pretended that her heart hadn't been skipping nervous beats all afternoon. She found herself looking back at Jack as he bounded up the cracked,wooden steps of her porch and her mind twisted the situation as the thought of him walking her to the front door of her house after a date crossed its path. She shook her head at the absurdity but her eyes sparkled up at Jack unknowingly as he wordlessly handed her back the book he'd been carrying all afternoon.

"I don't kiss until the _second_ date, _Joon_ ** _y_**." If her eyes could have sharpen they'd have been knives, but his rare, boyish smile made the hazel depths soften with ease and the narrowed malice disappeared entirely when she noticed a shallow dimple beneath the right side corner of his mouth. Juniper clenched her fists at her sides when the urge to caress the stretched skin of his cheeks became more impulsive by the second. She feigned a look of haughty annoyance.

" _Oh_ ,as _if_ you could be so lucky." When Jack's eyebrows raised in surprise and the silent acceptance to a challenge she didn't know she had administered churned in the velvety black depths, Juniper's heart lurched to her throat in panic. The sound of her front door being pulled open stopped her from stammering loudly over her words and both turned toward the, now open door to where her mother stood, glancing between the two in unexpected curiosity, her mouth hung open slightly as her eyes rested on Jack.

"I didn't mean to interrupt anything," When the older woman got no response from either of the two, who were peaking at the other every few seconds she cleared her throat, "So, sweetie, who's your _friend_?" Juniper nearly cringed at the exaggeration of words her mother used but hid it with a turn toward her instead, the words died on her lips when her eyes met accusing orbs of green. Without a single falter Jack offered his hand out as a common gesture, and the charming smile that etched across his lips had nothing on the one that had been solely for her.

"It's _lovely_ to meet you, Miss Heden. I'm Juniper's _friend_ , Jack Napier." Juniper rolled her eyes at the way her mother swooned under Jack's false tone and she cast her gaze down at the underlying mockery he used with the word friend as if to spite her indirectly for implying he was something more. Mortification rolled down her back in waves of cold bumps as her mother's posture changed entirely to one she'd seen her assume when trying to earn the attention of other, older men, her chest pushed out and eyelashes batting at her best friend.

" _Please_ , _Jack_. Call me, _Marion Dowe_. Heden was my _husband's_ brand." A snarl marked Juniper's face at her mother's antics and clear dig at her father. Jack recoiled when he glanced over at her fuming stance and subtly pulled the seething girl to his side by her belt loop. His fingers stroked the inside of her arm and a trail of fire was left behind their slow crawl, Juniper had to stop herself from shuddering and instead focused on the hot, flashing anger welling up inside her.

"Duly noted," Jack nodded politely but the rejection was obvious and made her mother step back quickly, like she'd been slapped. For a impulsive moment Juniper wished that he _had_ given her a quick smack,but pushed the thought down with fervor and listened intently when Jack spoke again. "I should _really_ be going, Henry's gonna be angry if I get in _too_ late." Juniper looked down and tried to ignore the disappointment swirling in her belly, when she felt lips make contact with her temple, the shock boiled inside her stopped her from reacting but not from leaning into him subconsciously. His calloused hand ran from its position wrapped around her arm and Jack backed up to make his way down the stairs.

Her mother pulled her inside with a scolding expression that hadn't been there moments before, and surely wouldn't have appeared if not for Jack's refusal. "I don't like that boy, Juniper. He looks like trouble, did you see the way he was _staring_ at me? Like some kinda' _dog_. I heard about that father o' his too, _Henry_. _Mhm_ , all kinds o' bad news, _low lives_. You won't be seein' him anymore, understand? I don't want my _baby_ talkin' to that kinda' _trash_ , y'hear?" Juniper ignored her mother as she continued off on her rant that would last all night if she let it, and stole a hidden glance from behind the curtain to see Jack's retreating form, in the sheer luck of coincidence he turned around the moment she almost looked away and met her gaze. Even in the dim light of the pale moon, she saw his dark eyes glitter and his mouth curve into a smirk as she caught the quick wink he sent her way, she pulled away from the window with a wide smile before Jack even turned back around.

With rushed steps she skipped up the stairs to her bedroom, oblivious to her mother's angry howl of disappointment.

Juniper Heden didn't believe in coincidences, _until she did._


	8. June xx, 1995 continued

AN; _Thank you all so much for commenting, I appreciate more than you know and it encourages me to continue on, much love xxx -H_

 _June 25th,_ _1995_

 _She wasn't some foolish little girl that her mother made her out to be._

Juniper _knew_ that Jack was no prince charming coming to _sweep her off her feet_ , and even in the moments she daydreamed of it, in the back of her mind, she knew they were silly fantasies that would never truly play out the way they did in her mind. The thing was, Jack, no matter how distant and bitter, would always soften the blows he threw her way, in contrast to others, at which he slung them with a sardonic grin. It was what Juniper called a soft spot, because somewhere, in the inky depths of his glaring eyes, something moved when he looked at her. Not developed, moved. She couldn't place what it was that rested inside but she sure could stir it up in an instant.

Admittedly, she was a bit blind to Jack's controlling, light abuse toward her, or maybe she just closed her eyes to it, either way, the spot was something she held onto with the intensity of a needy newborn. Juniper didn't need him, but, _God_ , she wanted him. The sappy romance was nice to read in long novels, but it wasn't anything she couldn't do without. It wasn't anything she wouldn't sacrifice for him. His attention and company was enough, no matter what emotion it was expressed in.

 _Of course_ he made her wait, of _course_ he did. Let her sit and stew in her room, with doubtful thoughts and worried eyes.

It wasn't lost upon her that he probably wasn't even doing it on purpose, and that made it _much_ worse. Because maybe she _was_ that forgettable, perhaps he didn't have enough time for her, or just forgot to make it. This time was different though, because instead of sitting around and waiting for him to show up, she decided to put an end to his game of 'Make Juniper Wait Like The Desperate Girl She Is.' If he didn't want her around, then she wouldn't be. Though it hurt to know he probably wouldn't even notice she wasn't home. She avoided looking at own her reflection in the vanity mirror as she passed it hurriedly it on her way out so she wouldn't see the pathetic remnants of tears in her eyes.

The plan had been to go out and distract herself from the continuous, haunting thoughts of Jack, not go out and spill hot coffee all over the guy she'd been avoiding since he'd returned from his 'vacation.' But the bright smile on Bruce's face when he realized that it was her had stopped Juniper from scurrying away in panic. A warm feeling she had only ever gotten around Jack sprouted in her stomach and Juniper looked down to stop the joyful grin on his face from affecting her. Instead she began dabbing his ruined shirt with a napkin she'd plucked from his hand. Bruce didn't protest, just chuckled at her apologetic look and steered her back toward the coffee shop.

Juniper didn't have time to decline his offer of replacement coffee as he reordered her drink without falter, and stared in confusion at the side of his face as he led them back towards one of the tables placed in the back. Anxiety riddled her form when they sat down across from one another and she realized she'd been tricked into having coffee with the Wayne boy. Juniper didn't object, the guilt from ruining his likely expensive top still outweighed any other emotion and she settled for flashing him a wide smile instead, knowing she probably looked like a shark from the forced action.

Bruce began a casual conversation with himself, as he usually did, Juniper didn't mind that he talked enough for the both of them. It wasn't as if she had anything interesting to share, _he didn't either,_ really. She figured he just liked the sound of his own voice enough to keep listening to it. It was one of the biggest, and many, differences between he and Jack. While Bruce never _shut up_ , Jack never _talked_ , but she did appreciate the fact that Jack actually listened to her. When she did speak, rather it be playful banter or about something mundane, Jack's eyes were always intently locked onto her, following every word and always giving a relevant response. It made her feel important and valuable to him, like she was a piece of him rather than just a dispensable part. When Bruce talked it always involved money, or an experience he had while spending it, it seemed he just wanted someone to _sit_ and _listen_ , and Juniper could do that, she could do it well. Money was probably the only thing he could bring into conversation, it was what he knew.

Bruce and Jack both had their own quirks and Juniper could accept them easily, but there was a difference between being talked _to_ , and being talked _at_.

He never expected a response, so, she didn't respond.

Juniper zoned back into his one sided conversation to realize he was talking about his trip, explaining the beauty of the Bahamas and how lucky she'd be to see it. Juniper figured she was lucky that Bruce Wayne was even talking to her, a _cruise_ would be something unimaginable. Her hazel eyes drifted around the coffee shop she often frequented , taking it in for the first time instead of rushing out to avoid the people inside, as she was already sitting and stuck as of the moment. There was jazz music playing in the background, softly and the various colors of milky browns and creamy whites were peaceful. Juniper wondered if Bruce ever took the time to enjoy his surroundings rather than erratically trying to change them.

She stirred her coffee with a sigh and listened to his dreamy voice, it was as though it hazed over from recalling the experience. Juniper sat idly, staring at him as he looked off into space and took in his perfect features, while he _was_ beautiful, _a marvel for most_ , it was suddenly _too_ obvious to her that he tried _much_ too hard to impress others and he actually _expected_ them to be impressed. While he was so striven to be unique and original, in reality he was almost _exactly_ like the people he tried to separate himself from. The Wayne boy lived in the past and aimed to please everyone, accommodating himself to match whoever _they_ were. And instead of envying him for his money, she pitied him for his lack of self.

Juniper suddenly felt like she was suffocating, the choking feeling was something she got when unknowingly under the scrutiny of someone else and the dark look of a passerby wasn't lost upon her. She turned her head in time to meet rustic eyes, glinting in the golden light with animosity through the window before they broke contact and continued on her way. Jack.

She didn't chase after him as she probably should have, it would've probably ended more in her favor if she had done so. But she wasn't some lost puppy, chasing for his approval and desires. He'd left her for days, without a word when she now knew he wasn't a mile away and could have sought her out anytime. Later on she would regret her decision to stay for the end of Bruce's bland storytelling, but for now she was content with the choice and the worry that settled in her chest wouldn't deter her from a peaceful walk home.

So after saying her goodbyes she headed out of the small shop that gave a light ring as the door swung open and then closed behind her. The air had cooled considerably and was a nice change from the usual overbearing heat against her pale, flushed skin. She tried her best not to worry about Jack and his reaction to seeing her with another guy, but the memory of last time she'd been out with Bruce made the unease settled within her coil like a snake.

She didn't even understand and _that_ was the core problem of it all, why should Jack be angry with her for having _friends_? For hanging _out_ with someone else when he _clearly_ didn't want anything to do with her? It was something she'd have to ask him, if he was even willing to talk to her anymore. Juniper also knew that if she saw Jack with someone else she'd probably react the same way, but for very different reasons.

It didn't matter anyhow, he hadn't been around and she wasn't going to just isolate herself because he wasn't there. She was done with crying over someone who didn't care.

No matter how many times she repeated that to herself it just got harder to believe and she couldn't even stop herself from glancing at his house that remained vacant. Perhaps he wasn't that angry an just had been busy. Maybe he'd understand. She laughed at the thought.

There were tears in her eyes as she bounded up the stairs to her room, the thought of losing her best friend over something so stupid hurt terribly. It was possible that she was as foolish as her mother said, delusional and stuck inside her own head with fantasies that would never play out the way she thought of them.

As Juniper turned the corner she slapped the big leaf of the plastic house plant from her face and continued on into her room.

The first notably out of place thing was her window, wide open, the long curtains seemed to dance in the wind with ease, magically caressing the ceiling every now and then. The second was the top drawer of her dresser, ajar with the carious contents of her underwear spilling out, the drawer that held her journal, of course. And the third, was laughable, the image of Jack Napier spread out across her bed, posed like a model, reading _said missing journal_ , would be something she'd never forget. While she stifled a smile at the sight, anger boiled inside her at the broken privacy that'd he'd never allow her to commit, fear laced guilt was also an emotion she experienced with slight surprise as she caught the dark eyes glaring at her from over a page.

She backed up and like a python, ready to strike, Jack leapt at her, the small bedroom was crossed with three easy strides from his long legs and he didn't stop in front of her like she'd expected. His lengthy arm slammed the bedroom door shut as she reached it, Jack turned her harshly in his arms before trapping her against the wooden panels. The mocking smile on his lips did nothing to better the situation and she turned her head to the side to avoid his stare. Jack didn't allow it for long and grasped her chin harshly, _intimately._ Juniper grasped his arm to soften the tight, painful hold and found herself confronted with the urge to embrace the soft, toned skin there. The pull didn't last long as his dark eyes stared into her with a rage that made her shake in his arms.

"Come on now, _Joo_ ** _ny_**. Let's not make this any harde _r_ then it's gotta' be, _yeah_?"


	9. July xx, 1995

**_I'm very appreciative to those of you commenting, they keep the motivation going as I've said countless times. From now on I'm going to try to be posting_** ** _every weekend_** ** _, I'm not perfect so I'll probably be late a few times but I'll make up for it with either a later post or a double post in one weekend, this is my makeup for missing last weekend xxx -H_**

 ** _June 25_** ** _th_** ** _, 1995_**

The anger Jack had felt in that moment had come in hot, white flashes, Juniper could see it swirling in the abyss of his dark brown eyes, something _hungry_ inside them, ready to eat her whole. It made fear clench in her chest and the skin of her arms prickle, she'd never seen him so _torn_. Torn between _what_? She had _no idea_ , but it was clear he was fighting with himself. Juniper's heart beat was close to the rhythm of a hummingbird's wings as she felt herself shrink further into the wooden door behind her;the cold, metal door knob stabbed and left a dull ache her back.

His chest was rising and falling but the blood rushing through her ears stopped her from hearing the loud breaths he was taking to calm himself. He lowered his head, the sandy, blonde tendrils covered his face with the movement and although he was hovering over her, he remained much taller, much bigger. Such a huge contrast from the boy she'd once known, Jack looked like a man now, gone were the timid glances and awkward fumbling. They'd been gone for a long time, she'd just never noticed it with such an intensity as now. _Now_ , _now_ his gaze was smoldering, lingering at times, with certainty and even arrogance, the way he carried himself had gone from brooding outcast to mysterious stranger, his appearance more open and assured.

Juniper swallowed thickly and waited to gain some of her hearing back, when she did, the sound of steady tapping against the door caught her attention. She glanced away from Jack's affronted form, briefly to see his long, calloused fingers, moving in time with her-more calmed-heart beat.

 _One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. Ba, bum. Ba, bum. Ba, bum. Ba, bum._

It felt as though she were choking on air, there was no reason for her throat to be aching with unshed tears, but it was. She couldn't escape him, not even if she wanted to. The atmosphere that belonged to _her_ was drenched with everything that was _Jack Napier_ , the smell of smoke and pine;of him, suffocated her in a way she couldn't even _complain_ about but the air was hostile and prickling with a negative energy that made her want to curl up and beg for forgiveness. But she wouldn't, not this time, because she'd done nothing wrong. Still, she spoke first, and cursed herself when the words came out shaky and unsure.

" _J_ -Jack?" _One, two. One, two. Ba, bum. Ba, bum._ The tapping stopped, Jack let out a dry laugh that tangled with his frustration so greatly that it could have strangled her. He lifted his head up and hit his hands against the door in sync. The loud sound reverberated through her bones but she didn't let the gasp leave her throat, and chose to keep her face cool instead. Jack had moved away, with a brief glance at her to insure that _she wasn't going anywhere_ , she knew if she did he'd just catch her and probably be angrier. He was barely a stride away when he began to pace, clearly trying to calm himself further, he'd began to mumble to himself, words she couldn't quite make out. It didn't ease the concern and fear she felt watching him, it seemed as though, Jack had completely lost himself. He'd never been this way before, she didn't know what to make of it, how to help him.

"Are you…. Are you _alright_?" It had been a stupid question and she wasn't sure why she'd even asked it as he _clearly_ was _not_. Still, she stepped toward him, only slightly, but he'd caught it and twisted toward her, a snarl mangled his strong features. Juniper let his dark eyes trail over her and watched as he bitterly scoffed and began to pace again. The roots of his overgrown hair were oily and tousled, it was clear as to why when he wound his long fingers through it again and again.

" _Yeah_ , _J_ oon _y_ , I'm just f _an-_ _fucking_ _-tastic_ , _thanks_ for asking." The deep dulcet of his voice made the words seem even more cruel than they ever had before, and the words sounded like a growl as he rested his dark, cold eyes on her. Instead of replying she decided to wait, and just let him talk when he was ready, the silence didn't last as long as she'd expected it to as he made a harsh movement toward her. Jack would _never_ hit her, she'd never felt _truly_ , physically threatened when around him, sometimes he was a bit rough when angered but that was simply because _he didn't know_ his own strength when vexed. _Now_ , however, Juniper wasn't sure, because _this.._ wasn't _Jack_.

"I'm not _even sure_ _where_ to _fucking_ star _t_.." The laugh that came from his throat was forced and she watched as he looked down to gather his thoughts, Juniper took that moment to finally breathe and calm herself a bit to deal with Jack. _Somebody_ had to be level headed and it _clearly_ wasn't going to be Jack this time.

" _First_ , _firs_ ** _t_** , I see _you_ , out with _big-sho_ ** _t_** _Br_ ** _uce_** _Way_ ** _ne_** ," He stops to let out another dry chuckle. "Te _ll_ me, _Ju-_ ** _ni_** _-pe_ ** _r_** , is it because of his _witty humo_ ** _r_** , or his **oh** - _so_ -interestin _g_ stories?" Jack didn't even step forward fully and Juniper was pressed into the cold wood once more. He was breathing in a way that sounded as though he were hissing through his teeth, and the rage in his eyes was no longer torn or masked in any way, it was like she was watching a bright red flame nip at a puddle of oil until it'd swallowed it entirely.

"I'm _not_ ** _with_** _him_ , Jack, I-" He slammed his fists against the surface beside her head and a cracking sound echoed throughout the room, his head fell again and only loud breathing could be heard. Without looking up he wrapped the hand closest to her, around her neck and pulled her closer until he could look into her eyes. The calloused tips of his fingers were surprisingly gentle around her neck and he hadn't moved to harm her physically, Juniper could still trust him with that. Even in his state of… delirious confusion, he wouldn't _actually_ harm her.

"Don't _do_ that, don't _lie to me_. I _saw_ you…. _Why Wayne_?" Jack pulled away, and it took all of Juniper's power not to run from the room, "Of _all_ people." He shook his head, the fake smile still on his lips, "You could have _anyone_ in this world, _Joon_ ** _y_** _."_ Jack through his hands up animatedly, "Is it because he has _money_? You're not… You're not _shallow_. I _know you_ better than _that_." He was back in front of her again, trying to search her face for an answer that wasn't there.

"I haven't _chosen anyone_ , _Jack_. He bought me coffee because I _spilled_ mine, _you're_ the one _making_ this into something that it _isn't_." The irony of it all brought a cruel snarl to her lips and she glared back up at him. "You're acting like a jealous boyfriend, is _that_ what this all is? You're _jealous_ of _Bruce Wayne_?" The hold on her throat tighten, only slightly but his face was contorted into hysterical resentment that made her knees feel unsteady with terror.

" _Don't_." He shook his head, the sandy tendrils moved with him, he took another breath to calm himself. "Are you that _fucking blind_ , Juniper? _Honestly_." He scoffed, his lips twisted into a deep frown, and he continued to search her face for anything, anything at all.

" _I'm_ not _blind_ , _Jack_." She said in a softer tone and wrapped her hand around his arm. "You're just looking for something that _isn't there_." The russet shade returned, in a lighter cast, a look she couldn't describe gleamed back at her and her stomach knotted nervously. All she could do was stand there and watch him as he pulled her from the cold wood of the door. Juniper had expected something, _anything_ but watching his form retreat through the door, the resounding slam of the one downstairs let her know that he'd really left.

All she could do is sink to her feet and wish she'd done _something_ different. _What?_ She didn't know.

 ** _July 2_** ** _nd_** ** _, 1995_**

 _Jack didn't come around again for a while._

Juniper was almost positive that she'd completely lost him, that their friendship was over because of a cup of coffee, because of Bruce Wayne. She'd be lying if she said it didn't make her resent him, even if just a _little_ bit. It wasn't logical, there was _no_ sense to the negative feelings that had sprouted for the golden boy over the course of a few days. If anything Jack shouldn't have reacted so strongly, but something was stopping her from pushing the blame onto him. Juniper knew Jack had some problems, that much was clear. It'd been clear in sixth grade when he'd permanently scarred Tyler Keffle with just his fists, and all Keffle had done was trip her. It was clear _now_ when he'd nearly demolished her room for hanging out with Bruce Wayne.

Juniper mostly blamed herself.

Marion hadn't been happy when she'd seen the cracked door frame. She'd told her mother that she'd accidentally hit it against the wall too hard, which had been an accepted excuse, although she was a horrible liar, Juniper figured her mother just didn't care enough to think about it. But she had been told that she'd have to fix it herself, how she wasn't sure.

She'd turned into a hermit over the span of a few days with ease, remained lodged beneath the soft, peaceful, safety of her blankets and barricaded all existing light from entering the sanctuary she'd created. Juniper did her best not to think of Bruce Wayne or Jack Napier, failing of course, _multiple_ times.

On the last day of the week, Juniper decided that enough was enough. That she shouldn't be laying in a ball of self pity when she could be fixing the problem, when she could make things more clear and just settle it instead of worrying herself over it for no reason. The Summer air felt nice on her skin when she pulled the window open and Juniper found herself wondering why she'd shut it out in the first place. In attempt to encourage herself, she spent the morning getting ready, taking care of herself and pep talking herself for _hours_.

When Juniper was finally prepared, she headed out, distracting herself with her surroundings as much as possible to postpone the inevitable. She reminded herself that she'd rather be sure about where they now stood then end up avoiding Jack for no reason. It still didn't stop her from plucking flowers on her way and staring at the shapes in the clouds every once in a while, it was her nature to be easily distracted and daydream constantly. Though, admittedly, today she was doing it more on purpose than by fault. After an hour of wandering slowly on what was usually a ten minute walk she decided she should get back on track and headed toward the wood line, only then noticing just how much she'd gone off trail, by remaining in la la land.

It took half an hour just to get to the small patch of trees, and as she made her way through, a heavy feeling on her chest stopped her. It felt like she was having a panic attack, a weight on her lungs was _much_ worse than the anxiety she felt in her mind and as she tried to navigate through the darkened area she stumbled upon a fallen branch. Juniper caught herself, just barely, a limb scratched her face shallowly and she didn't have to check to know that it and her throbbing knee _;the brunt of her fall_ , were bleeding. Rosie cheeks were moist with tears as she ran over scenarios in which Jack confirmed her worst fears and although she _knew_ it was unlikely she couldn't bring herself to actually go to him any longer. It was too much of a risk and she was in _no_ state to see him.

The journey back to her house wasn't a long one, but with the limp she'd gained from her episode in the middle of the thin forest, it was a _rather_ painful one. When she stepped back into her house, it was quiet, as she'd left it. The windows were opened again, as she'd always left them, the environment peaceful and appeared graceful, like a scene from a movie as the curtains flowed dramatically about. She made her way up the stairs, the first destination would be her room, she planned to grab some baggy bottoms and then hop into the shower, but upon entering her room, that plan wasn't going to play out.

Jack sat, on the edge of her bed, toned forearms rested on his knees, on show with his sleeves rolled to his elbows, as his foot tapped lightly against the wood floor. The sandy blonde tendrils shaped his sharp features beautifully and for a moment, with him unsuspecting, Juniper observed him. It didn't last long but she wasted no time and drank in the image of him like a woman who'd not had the luxury of water in months. Jack in all his lovely, carefree glory. The only thing that could have possibly made the sight any better would have been the small smile he gave for _only her_ , it was admittedly the most radiant, beautiful, thing she'd ever seen, when he'd bow his head, in almost boyish bashfulness and a small flush of red would travel across his cheeks and taint his freckles.

The spell broke as his brown eyes made contact with her's and he stood immediately as she entered, opening his mouth to talk, it snapped shut immediately and the previous ease that had been presented on his face darkened as his eyes traveled over her and Juniper felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she thought of the last time he'd been in her room, with a similar look on his face. She felt her eyes begin to water once more until she looked down, her mouth parted in a small 'o' shape as she remembered her concerning appearance.

Jack stepped forward, his hands clenched into tight fists that made the veins in his arm seem to pop out and pulse. Juniper felt ashamed for the warmth that seemed to punch her in the stomach at the sight, her whole body flushed. She was in no right state of mind to deal with emotions and _that_ was why she was reacting to Jack as though she were in heat, at least that was what she told herself. His jaw was clenched so tightly she thought his teeth would crack from the pressure as he moved closer to her, she didn't even flinch away from his anger as his hand came up to brush her check. But his dark eyes were so heavy with _something_ , something she didn't know, and _that_ was a bit scary.

"If I have to _dig_ for the information it'll only make me _angrier_. You're better off just telling me what happened, _Joon_ ** _y_**."


	10. July xx, 1995 continued

_July 2nd, 1995_

Juniper backed away slightly, but Jack was there in an instant.

She watched with glassy eyes as his long, tan arm swept behind her in one rapid movement, the deafening slam made her ears ring, and for a moment she thought he'd hit her. The thought was dismissed as soon as it presented itself in her mind. Juniper twisted her head to see that the bedroom door had been shut into place, the previous dents and cracks in the white wood gone and re-hinged. She turned to see Jack smiling down at her, his cheeks spread too wide for it to be real.

"Y'know Ju _-ni-_ per, I woke up this morning, in the mood to be a _nice guy_. After our last little _get together_ , I figured you _deserved_ it. **_So_** , I went ahead and repaired your _little door_ here," Jack tapped his fingers against the door behind her head for emphasis, the smile hadn't disappeared but his eyes held a false light in them that mocked her every time they flashed back toward her face. "...for you that I, _uh_ , _roughed up_ last time, but _then_ , **_then_** , here _you_ come in, on the verge of _tears_ , and _bloody_." His already deep voice dropped several octaves, and instantly brought chills to Juniper's scraped up form. " _Now_ , _Joon_ ** _y,_** you either tell me, **_right. now._** Who's _teeth"_ Jack bared his own at her, the faux lightness gone in an instant, _"_ I'm gonna' cut my knuckle on, o _rrrr,_ I'm gonna' do somethin', that we'll _both_ regre _t_."

Juniper was horrified when she felt her chest stutter, and burn all the way up to her throat, she swallowed thickly, and hoped Jack wouldn't notice the way she had subconsciously moved closer, if he had, he didn't do anything about it. His dark eyes continued to pierce her own, and Juniper did her best to distract herself from the unwelcome feeling of excitement coiling in her stomach, but only caught sight of his sharp jawline, pulsating from the pressure of his teeth. Juniper let out a curse and looked down to avoid his gaze.

"It's really nothing, Jack.. _honest_." It was worth a try but the snarl that curled his pouting lips told her that she wouldn't get off so easily. "Look, it's kinda' embarrassing actually" Juniper mumbled, staring at her feet and bunching the fabrics at her thigh up. "I, uh, I _fell_.. and-" The rough feeling of his fingers capturing her chin, and tilting her face up, cut off her last stuttered breath, and she couldn't help but take note of how his calloused fingers felt against her skin. Juniper only hoped she'd remember the moment forever.

"Don't _lie_ to me, _Joon_ ** _y_** , you _know_ I _hate_ that. I was willing to _admit_ , I was… _wrong_ to take my… _annoyance_ over Wayne out on _you,_ but this is different, Juniper, this is _very_ different." Jack's voice was normal, and she realized he was trying to be calm with her, so she'd be more willing to tell him, but there was nothing _to_ tell him. Juniper fidgeted nervously, sighing every few seconds, and trying to gain her thoughts. It was difficult with Jack so close to her, each time her chest heaved, it brushed against his, and her eyes flutter closed.

"I.. I was on my way, to come see you-" Jack's brow raised, questioningly but Juniper simply continued. "and, and I… _panicked_.. and," She screwed her face up at herself for stumbling over her words, and getting herself into this predicament in the first place, but the feeling of being watched made her go on. "and I fell, and scraped myself up in the woods," Juniper lowered her head, and stared down at Jack's dirty combat boots. "I think-I think I had a _little_ panic attack, and I just wanna' go to bed now,and it's okay, _I'm okay_." She nodded her head at herself before looking up at Jack again, thinking she was going to see his mocking, smiling face, staring down at her.

Instead of Jack's laughing face she realized he was staring down at her with confusion, and frustration lacing his eyes. The small, characteristically bothersome, sandy colored sliver of hair curled in front of his eye, and before he could move it away, Juniper reached up and brushed it from his vision. Jack's eyes widened at the action and a blush swept across her features, his rough touch returned to her face, and a trail of fire followed each stroke of his fingers against her jaw.

"You're okay now, Joony," He confirmed, Juniper's eyes fluttered closed at the soft lilt of his voice. "Why were you gonna' come see little ol' _me_?" He asked, pouting his lips further, playfully, and instead of getting angry over his light teasing she felt relieved,something she hadn't felt in a while. For a moment it felt like they were back under the bleachers in sixth grade, hiding from the blistering sun, and tracing pictures into the dirt with their shoes. She could see Jack's unkempt curls, glowing in the slices of light that leaked through the hot metal, so blonde the locks seemed white, with his dark eyes smiling at her in such a rare way, as she complimented his artwork. Juniper opened her eyes to Jack, his hair slightly darker, and skin a lovely olive, there was a peacefulness in his eyes that hadn't been there for what seemed like years, and although she knew it wouldn't last forever, she also knew she'd give anything for the short moments that they occurred.

"I just… missed you, and I didn't know if you wanted to _see me_ anymore, and I needed to _know_.." It sounded so silly now that she'd said it, confirmed his possible suspicions of her stupid, girlish crush. But Jack didn't seem to mind, the golden brown of his eyes were calming, and he gazed down at her contently. All Juniper wanted to do was trace his pouty, pink lips with her own, but for now, she'd settle for a warm bath.

It always confused her how Jack could seemingly read her mind, he always seemed to know exactly what she wanted from him, and how to make her happy. Jack never gave her everything she wanted, just fractions of her desires that would keep her satisfied, but aching. That was the reason he backed away and headed toward her dresser, it didn't surprise her when he went through the correct ones to get _exactly_ what he'd been looking for. He'd gone through more than just her journal last time, and she was glad she'd made sure to keep the embarrassing secrets she held to herself, rather than the pages of her notebook. When he turned, and tossed the bundle of clothing to her Juniper caught them, but mostly with her face, which had Jack snorting his humor at her, and tugging her behind him, toward the bathroom.

"Time for a ba _th_ , buttercu _p_."

"My mom's probably gonna walk in, you realize?" Juniper pulled the curtain back a bit to look at Jack, who was sat at the edge of the tub on the other side, reading a fashion magazine and annoyingly filling in all the quizzes with sarcastic remarks that she would surely read back on, later. He'd refused to leave, mocking her and saying _his girl_ was _too emotionally fragile_ to be without him, but she got the feeling he was just bored, and wanted to pester her. Admittedly, she didn't put up much of a fight.

Juniper made sure he turned around as she'd undressed, but that didn't stop the teasing remarks he threw over his shoulder. While he was a playful flirt, and a tease, he was no pervert. In fact she'd never seen him even leer at any girls, or guys alike. Only glare when they did so to _him_. She'd always thought that he simply wasn't interested in a sexual relationship. Despite his flirtatious nature toward her, Juniper knew he was only joking.

"I locked the _door_ , _silly girl_." He admonished lightly. " _Besides_ ," Jack looked up, and leaned closer so he was hovering above her. "I don't _give_ a fuck." She frowned falsely, and reached up, covering his nose with suds, Jack just blinked down at her, doe brown eyes darkening. Juniper snorted, and quickly shut the curtain, pressing it tightly to the wall to make sure he wouldn't reach in. Jack's shadow disappeared from the plastic, flowery curtain

Juniper's heartbeat sped up as she waited, suddenly giddy to be able to comfortable play with Jack again. She watched, with anticipation, as his agile hand reached past the curtain, and quickly pulled the chain of the stopper. Juniper pouted as the water began to drain, about to yell for him for playing dirty, to give it _back_. Instead she was engulfed by a towel, and yanked from the tub. Jack's large arms wrapped around her, drying her quickly, the soggy fabric never revealed anything, and Juniper simply looked up at Jack in confusion before his finger came up to her lips-silencing her..

A knock at the door made them both pause, and then the resounding, "Juniper?" sent her into a panic, Jack pulled her back quickly, shoving her toward the shower, and stepping inside himself. The lock jiggled slightly before the door was pushed open and Juniper realized Jack was looking down at her expectantly, she took a deep breath to calm herself before looking outside of the curtain, into the green eyes of her mother. Juniper flashed her an annoyed look.

"I was getting ready to take a shower, what do you need?" Her mother twirled the house keys in her hand before crossing her arms at her daughter.

"You fixed your door?" Her mother's brow raised haughtily, and she shifted from one heeled foot to the other.

"I had a friend come by and do it.." She trailed off, waiting for her mother to leave.

"Not that _Napter_ boy was it? I _told_ you he's _trouble_." Juniper shook her head and fought with herself to not bring up the fact that if her mother did _indeed_ know he was _trouble_ she'd need to actually _know_ his last name.

"No, it was a friend from school.. her dad's a carpenter, and she knows some stuff…" Her mother's disbelieving look made her pause, she did all she could not to scream in frustration.

" _Really_ , then what's this girl's name? _And_ her address, I should send thanks for her _kindness_." Juniper spewed out the first lie that came to mind.

"Carrie Seay. She just moved here the month before school ended, so _you wouldn't_ ** _know_** _her_ _and_ I don't _know_ her address, I only gave her _our's,_ because she said she could _help_." Juniper growled defensively.

"I see, _well_.." Her heels clinked against the tile as she came closer, and Juniper gripped the curtain tightly, her heart skipping a beat."I'll just throw this in the wash for _you_ ," Her smile was like the cat who ate the canary, devilish, and smug. She _knew_. "and head back out, you know I have a _date_ tonight." The younger girl raised an eyebrow. It was barely past four, last Juniper had checked.

"He tends to dine out a bit _earlier_ , or _maybe_ he just wants to be in time for dinner with his _wife_." Juniper snarled her nose, and retreated back behind the curtain as the woman chuckled at herself, seemingly unbothered by the fact that Juniper wasn't laughing with her. Finally, she closed the bathroom door, with a loud _click_.

Juniper paused, looking down briefly to see her towel, _gone_. With a long inhale, she realized that it must of fallen with her haste to get back behind the curtain. She turned toward Jack, who was thankfully, too close to see anything. Although, it was clear he'd realized sooner, a smirk was on his lips, but his eyes never left her own.

His shirt smelt like aftershave, and pine when he pulled it over her head, and tugged her from the slippery bathtub once more, stealthily sneaking them both into her room. She smiled when he locked the bedroom door, and wiggled his eyebrows enthusiastically, before jumping onto the bed with her. Juniper watched as he put on a record, and slid open the window as though the place belonged to him. In a way, it _did_ , she realized.

 _Anything that was her's was his as well._

She watched him leave when the sun began to set, and thought it was ironic that Jack went away along with the peaceful light that shone through her window. His sandy colored hair, and russet eyes were captured to memory as she watched him look back at her, a small smile on his lips. He disappeared as she recounted the freckles scattered on his cheeks.

Hours later, the sleep that had come so easily at Jack's side evaded her, bright headlights lit her room in the pale moon's glow, and she could hear voices as they made their way up her porch steps. Her mother, and her.. bedroom companion, she wouldn't get much rest, she realized. Juniper sat up and glared at her window, the young girl wished now more than ever, that the walls were not paper thin.

She could hear their footsteps on the stairs as they made their way to her mother's room, the obnoxious giggles that left Marion's throat told her more than she needed to know. Juniper needed no more coaxing, and quickly scribbled a note to her mother and taped it to her door, wary of it's inhabitants. With practiced grace she skipped down the stairs, and tugged on her shoes, before closing the front door behind her with a low snap.

Juniper felt childish and giddy as she skipped down the street in the dark, not even the humming cicadas broke her focus.


	11. July xx, 1995 continued, continued

**_July 2nd, 1995_**

Juniper hadn't thought it through too well, but _it was a good thing she had a stroke of good fortune that night._

 _Where_ she was going, _how_ she was getting there, none of that had crossed her mind as she walked down the street, gliding past the dimly lit, flickering street lights. Luckily enough her feet seemed to guide her down the familiar path and within moments she was standing in front of the Napier residence, the sole light in the house was a flaming glow from the second story and, _much to her fortunate karma_ , Jack's silhouette was cast against the stained blinds. It took her a moment to realize he was changing as she watched him pull the forest green shirt he'd been wearing. Only hours ago, over his head. The image in her mind unfolded itself and she was taken back to only a few weeks before, when Jack had been mowing the overgrown, yellowing grass, his shirt _long_ gone, the toned, tanned skin looked even more perfect in the golden rays of the unrelenting sun.

The memory didn't leave her mind as easily as it had come and she found herself replaying the moment he called her name, the genuine happiness shown clear, the way her skin prickled pleasantly at first, until his father had made himself known. Juniper cringed away from the thought in time to see Jack's bedroom light flick off and she headed toward the house, as slow and steady as she could, as if it were recoiling to strike her.

The warm, humid air seemed to be tingling around her as she neared the front and wondered how she'd possibly get _to_ Jack's window, if he'd be angry that she was there or not seemed unimportant, it was only fair she break into _his_ house as he'd done her's _multiple_ times now. Juniper jumped like a frightened cat and swore when the air unit, only feet from her turned on with a loud gasp of air and then proceeded with a low hum. She glared at the offending object as though it weren't her who had overreacted, seconds later she laughed to herself for being so gullible.

Juniper swung her leg up and braced it on the window seal as she hoisted herself up onto the roof, the scrape on her knee stung with the pressure of the rough shingles. Juniper breathed in deeply and crept toward the window she'd seen Jack's shadow in. The seam was cracked slightly and she didn't bother knocking on the glass, instead tugged it open and threw herself inside, where she landed on cool hardwood flooring with a dull thud. There were plenty of things she'd expected, but the silent, stuffiness of the room hadn't been it, the complete abyss that splay in front of her as the blinds returned to their position was unnerving to the petite girl. It didn't last long and Jack's large body tackling her to the ground roughly had, _unfortunately_ , not crossed her mind either.

His rough hands pinned down her own and Juniper couldn't make her vocal chords work long enough to manage anything other than a whimper. Jack wouldn't hurt her, but Jack also _couldn't see_ that it **_was_** _her_. He let out a loud grunt once he realized there was a female beneath him, and yanked the culprit to her feet. Much to Juniper's chagrin Jack did so with a _single_ hand, he hauled her across the room by the back of her neck and tossed her to the side, onto a, _thankfully_ , soft surface.

For the first time that night Juniper considered sneaking into Jack's room hadn't been such a good idea. She hadn't ever seen him use any kind of laborious physical strength, especially not with herself as an example, although she figured she should have taken heed of his muscular form instead of testing it unknowingly.

Her eyes snapped open in horror as she realized he'd thrown her onto a bed and she flipped over as he shuffled behind her. The first thought that had presented itself had been a rather explicit one and fear gripped her for a moment before she reminded herself that she was with Jack. No matter how angry, those lengths wouldn't be taken by him.

Despite her inner monologue of Jack's morals, Juniper felt herself inhale for the first time she'd entered the room as the lamp on the bedside table clicked on.

She smiled at him, somewhat guiltily, like a child caught reaching into a cookie jar, when her eyes connected with his darker ones. Jack frowned at her, like _her sitting on his bed in pj's and torn up converse_ was the last thing he'd expected and Juniper felt a rush of pleasure at the fact that _she_ , had caught _Jack Napier_ off guard. Her skinned, sore legs that hung of the side of the bed, limply, began to sway back and forth in nervousness as he continued to just stare at her. Finally, Juniper decided to break the silence, but it seemed she always said the wrong thing, _this_ instance proved to be _no_ different.

"Well, _hello_ there, handsome."

She tried playfully, and then cringed at herself for her awkward shot at breaking the sharp, deadly tension in the room, Juniper looked up to see Jack suppressing a smile at her fumbling and tossed a discarded, crumpled up pillow from the floor at him while attempting to stop her own from growing. It hit his chest, and before it could fall to the ground he caught it and moved closer to her. A wide smirk split his boyish features and Juniper felt her stomach flutter pleasantly as she squirmed in her place on his bed.

She didn't waste much time observing him and instead turned her attention to Jack's room, it was practically empty, besides the basic necessities of a bedroom. A faded dresser in the corner and a nightstand beside his bed, still, she took in what she could with a new found hunger. His comforter was a simple, dark green and the rest of the furniture a muted brown the only thing out of the ordinary was the amount of pillows, piled against the headboard. It was _so_ like him to only have what he needed, for the room to be so dark and private, Juniper found that she loved it.

Her hazel eyes returned to his, only inches from her face, startled, Juniper fidgeted once more, further across the bed until her back hit a wall. Jack's once teasing smile had turned dark, as he followed her easily, she frowned up at him, eyes sparkling with confusion as he tilted her face up. She let out a stuttered breath as his face neared her's with a predatory gleam in his eye.

She choked on her words as it dawned on her in that _inopportune_ moment, that she was indeed in _Jack Napier's_ room, on _his_ bed, in _his_ space. He owned _everything_ in the room, somewhere _nobody_ but _he_ had been, she'd tainted it, but it was _only fair,_ she reminded herself steadily, trying to gain back control, _he'd been inside of her's as well_. Fumbled with her belongings and taken them for his own, still she blushed at his closeness.

Jack smiled down at her as she panicked internally, the action brightening his face and he yanked the covers back before sliding into them. Juniper let out, _yet another_ , exhale of relief and anger. He'd just done it to get a rise out of her.

"So, what's _little Joony_ doing breaking into my humble abode?" Jack mocked but she couldn't force herself to care, simply happy- _and somewhat annoyed at him_ -that he hadn't been angry.

Juniper picked at the lace trim of her pajama shorts for a few moments before Jack cleared his throat and hurried her reply. Instead of doing so instantly, she stuffed her nose up at him, comically, and hugged one of his pillows to her chest. The waft of cologne that hit her nose seemed to crawl inside of her lungs and replace any air she'd ever breathed before, and it didn't bother her a single bit.

Juniper decided she was taking this pillow, by force if necessary.

"W _e_ _lllll_ ," She began elusively, as thought her head was anywhere but in that room, quite honestly, it was. "My mom's got _company_.." _Whore. Whore. Whore._ She blamed her mother for her current predicament, if she hadn't been so loud, Juniper wouldn't of had a problem staying in her own bed. Now, here she was, in Jack Napier's, with his tanned, carved chest on show. "and _sooo_.. I _figured_ I'd repay your kind, _uninvited_ ," She looked up accusingly, but it lacked any kind of venom that should have been there, " _appearances_ with one of my own." Juniper smiled at him, too wide for it to possibly be innocent and crawled forward until she was right next to him again, only regretting it once her stomach twirled with desire at his coaxing warmth.

Jack raised a brow at her childish display but the fond smirk he reserved for only her remained on his lips.

"So, you come here and expect me to give up my _cozy_ bed with open arms to some _delinquent_ that broke into _my_ home."

He faked an exasperated tone quite well and Juniper found herself giggling girlishly at his display, toying with the idea of telling him he should be an actor. But she was too focused on how his eyes seemed to glitter in the light of his bedroom lamp and crinkled at the corners, laughing along with her without his mouth. Juniper challenged him with a raise of her own, sharp brow.

"I never _said_ you had to give it up… _or_ with open arms, _Napier_."

He was on her in a moment, only warning her with a single sobering look for a split second before his large hand returned to lock her own together. He appeared over her, a true, giddy smile on his face that stopped her glare of annoyance. Jack's hair framed his face above her's and the stubborn piece that always fell into his dark eyes remained, she felt herself tempted to brush it away. Only couldn't as calloused hands had captured her's and destroyed her urge.

He sobered too quickly and pulled her up with him. Placing her beneath the covers beside him before retreating a safe distance and taking his heat with him. Juniper pouted at his muscular back once it faced her and the room went dark with a subtle click.

She remained glaring into the darkness for what seemed like hours when there was a long rumble outside, warning the world of an oncoming storm. Juniper remained quiet, and simply threw concerned glances toward the window when a flash of light would illuminate the room. However the loud clap of lightening and thunder mingling had a panicked shriek ripping from her throat. A loud, annoyed sigh filled the room and Jack turned around to throw her a glare that eased slightly at the look of fear broadcast on her face.

Juniper felt her heart flutter in her chest when he turned toward her, and then ache when he rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her.

Feeling like a burden, she waited until his breathing evened back out before retreating to the edge of the bed, hot tears rolling down her cheeks as she admonished herself for being so _sensitive_ and _silly_ and _foolish_ and _girly_.

That night, Juniper Heden sucked it up and accepted the fact that Jack Napier would _never_ love her as she loved _him_.

 ** _July 3rd, 1995_**

Her cold behavior was recognized the next morning by herself and Jack.

As soon as she'd awoken she'd found his arms around her once more, not even _that_ made her feel any better about her stupid revelation and _still_ present crush. Instead it made her feel used and tired- _by and of_ , Jack Napier all at once. While she, at any _other_ time, _before_ , would have given the world to see his sleeping face beside her's, that morning, Juniper didn't care to see anything at all, and just wanted to be alone.

So, when Jack opened his eyes to an empty bed and a still warm pillow, his face crumpled with confusion and the bleariness of sleep. Instead of doing anything right away he grabbed the, _still warm_ pillow she'd slept on and shoved it into his chest, pressing his face to the sugary scent, a loud groan escaped his throat before he fell back into a deep slumber.

 _He figured she needed her space._

When Jack didn't visit her, that day, _or the next_ , Juniper was finally done. Not like the times before when she'd told herself she was and then continued waiting, this time, she was truly done. She would have no fairy tale ending with Jack Napier, she'd never counted on that anyhow, now she grasped the fact that there would be _no ending at all_.

Jack Napier wasn't her's and never had been. He was simply the person that decided when her presence was deemed acceptable and dealt with her when he liked.

But she was done waiting for him. From that day forward she decided that Jack Napier would simply be her best friend, what he saw himself as, she wouldn't put him on some pedestal anymore, she wouldn't be some _burden_.

 _She figured he just didn't care at all._


	12. January xx, 1996

**_January 17, 1996_**

 _It was one of_ ** _those_** _days._

Juniper could tell upon waking up that it would be. Nothing was out of the ordinary, it was all pretty routine, but there was a sense of foreboding in her chest that seemed to sit, like a rock weighing her down, just beneath the lapping current sweeping beneath her. All day she sat on the brink of drowning within herself and it seemed that nobody noticed. Nobody but _him_ of course.

 _Jack_.

Sadly, her school girl crush hadn't dissipated in the slightest. Every time she met his dark ebony eyes she melted inside, a piece of her felt as though it were shriveling up and being swallowed into the depths, the abyss. Juniper had never thought she could play a game as well as she did this one with Jack, the game of ignorance, as though she didn't know he was shrinking into the pits of insanity more and more with each moment. As though she couldn't feel her heart being strung along by the sandy haired delinquent, as though she didn't count _his_ every breath as though it were _her_ last. Obsession is what you'd call it, she knew her relationship with Jack had never been healthy, it never would be.

But Juniper didn't _have_ to play the game sometimes, because she truly didn't _know_. Oblivious to the way Jack's eyes found her in a room filled with people, to the way he'd wait for her to disappear into the confines of her house before he even thought to turn around, to the way his knuckles would miraculously bruise after catching another's gaze shift to her for a moment too long. Obsession is what you'd call it, Jack had never claimed to be sane in the least, he knew he should put an end to whatever it was he'd felt, but if he was going to it would have been _years_ ago. It was safe to say that whatever it was, had been festering from the moment he'd entered that middle school office.

Either way, Jack picked up on her distance the moment she'd left his room during the Summer, but had refrained from bringing it up at all of even complaining. He knew it was probably for the best that they both get their space, but now, now he couldn't disagree more. The moment her front door had shut and their journey to the school had begun she'd evaded conversation and shrunk away from a simple movement that she depicted too fast. Something was off, something wasn't right. And nobody but he seemed to notice.

It angered her the way he could seemingly sense her mood and read her mind, to anyone else at all she was a mystery, a book without words, but to him she seemed to be a thesaurus, open to be ventured through anytime. He didn't even need to look at the table of contents to know what page, like the back of his hand, the blade of his favorite knife.

Jack liked the way she looked at him when she needed someone. The neediness in her that nobody saw, the clingy little, timid kitten she truly was to him, an innocent naivete that was always hidden just beneath the glare she fixed any outsider with. He wanted her that way, he didn't need her to be strong, not when he was willing to be strong enough for the both of them. Not when being strong was the only thing he was good at.

So, he prodded at her, all day, sending her silent questioning stares that burned into her face, when she looked over he'd simply smile as innocent as someone like him possibly could. When she finally told him something just felt off, he'd scoffed, annoyed his time had been wasted, but it wasn't hard to tell that it was truly bothering her. He waited for something to happen, and Jack figured Juniper was either psychic or crazy when it finally did.

They'd been in their art class when the guy had decided to look at Juniper. At first Jack just sent him a subtle glare, what it took to normally fend off any approaching threats, but the kid just couldn't seem to take a _hint_. Jack figured he was just plain stupid when he smiled at Juniper, but he knew the boy had a death wish when she'd smiled back. Tentatively of course, in a way that was all around **Juniper** , not flirty, or true, or happy, not the way she looked at _him_. Just friendly. And then, then, the kid stood and walked toward her. Jack was up in an instant and it seemed the inevitable happened, _he lost his temper, a_ ** _bit_**. The paint brush had been whole one minute and then the next, half was jabbed into the hand of the oncoming threat, if the boy hadn't blocked it, possibly an eye.

The room hadn't even noticed until the boy had howled in pain, tears streamed down his face. Jack stood above him calmly, observing blankly until small hands pulled him away and took the bloodied paint brush from his hands. He simply watched Juniper watch him until he was being pulled once more from the room and metal cuffs were adorning his wrists, concerned hazel eyes followed him until they couldn't anymore.

Jack scoffed into the faces of his 'superiors' as they admonished his actions and glared warily at him from behind their over sized desks. A paintbrush through the hand hadn't been his first violation of school policy and the stationed police that patrolled the school even threw him uncertain glances as they passed by the curly haired roughian. The signature smile he settled them all with wasn't one Juniper had ever received and could only hope she never would.

It was settled that if another outburst occurred Jack would be tossed into the hands of a higher authority. Meaning court of course. Jack just rolled his eyes at their meager threats, he didn't have anything to lose, and found it easily hilarious that they thought he'd heed their pathetic claims.

Only Juniper could sober him up so quickly. When the office door closed behind him she'd been there waiting, her head in her hands sobbing quietly as he strolled from his place, his notebook tucked comfortably under his arm. Juniper glanced up into his eyes and felt her stomach drop as Jack settled in front of her on the floor, squatting to be eye level.

"What's got my girl down?" Jack hadn't expected the resounding scoff that left her, or the heated, teary glare she sent him as she wiped her eyes.

"Are you crazy?! You.. you stabbed our classmate, Jack! _Carl_ , you stabbed _Carl_!" She'd growled and thrown her arm out at him wildly, he captured it with ease and pressed a chaste kiss to the back of the soft skin, smiling up at her with a wide grin as she faltered momentarily.

"Well, _Joon_ ** _y_** , Ca _-arllll_ ," _Nobody_ else could growl and sing a name out threateningly at the same time, not the way Jack could. "Should be thanking his lucky stars that I didn't have a _knife_ then, _shouldn't he_?"

Juniper swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to focus on not crying again, only solemnly nodding at Jack as a response, laughter ripped from his throat startling her, but she found it simply contagious and bubbling giggles erupted from her as well. Turning to sobs in moments when she thought of Jack's future, surely this wouldn't be his last run in with trouble. Juniper could only hope for the best for Jack as she wrapped herself around him and hot tears spilled from her hazel eyes.

 _And that she had a place in it._


	13. February xx, 1996

**I apologize for the silly** **inconvenience,** **there was a glitch, but here's the update that was meant for you previously.**

 **Also, I wanted to thank those of you who reached out to me and let me know something was off, I hope the trouble was worth it.**

 **Much love, xxx**

* * *

 ** _February 22, 1996_**

Life was like a game of dominoes.

Hundreds upon _thousands_ of tiny square pieces stacked upon one another, _just_ in reach to knock the other down along with it. Akin to a series of events taken in one's life, events that could make or break a person, moments in time that determine the next. It was all one _huge_ game, the joke of _all_ jokes. Except it wasn't _funny_.

 _Not all jokes are funny,_ Joo _n_ ** _y_** _._

She should have expected it, she knew. Should have just hung up the phone while she still could and have never looked back. But she wouldn't, it wasn't like _her_. Juniper hated being herself, sometimes. _Most times_. A random call to her phone so late at night had never felt _so_ disastrous, a feeling inside her, of doom instead of butterflies, sat, when Jack's gravelly, deep voice had called her name through the phone. How he'd even _gotten_ a number she'd never given him had left her puzzled and confusingly angry that he hadn't bothered to call it _until_ he'd been in jail.

 _Jail_.

He sat across from her in the police department, his thumbs twirling between his rough hands, easily moving with fluidity, even in biting silver cuffs. Jack seemed bored, even now, sitting in a holding cell, glowering like a pouting child when she sent him a scolding stare. If it'd been _another_ time, _another_ place, Juniper would have laughed at Jack Napier, sat sulking at her from across the room. For now, she'd remained serious and gloomy, pondering his future and how her best friend had come to _this_ point in his life. It wasn't _hard_ to figure out, in fact, it was something she _knew_ she should have expected.

It felt somewhat like prophecy that he'd end up here, endgame-not _yet_ , not _now_. _Soon_ , though. _Maybe_.

Juniper watched as one of the guards released Jack through the bars, his pudgy hands barely fit through, but Jack's were artful as they held onto the metal surrounding him, caressing the cool rods with ease. She could see him reaching through and strangling the guard within reach in seconds, the life leaving the dull, gray eyes of the man with the oily scalp and too long goatee. Or pulling him forward repeatedly into the barrier supposedly protecting him of those agile, calloused hands. _Blood_ , so thick she could almost smell it and-

" _Ju_ n _ipe_ ** _r_**?" Jack waved his now free hand in front of her face, relieving her of the horror she'd brought upon herself, of what she'd imagined. "Come back to me, love." _Love_. She wondered if he really did that, and she could have smiled at the pet name, but she didn't. Instead she grabbed the hand he'd swiped across her vision and inspected the damage done by the shackles they'd placed on him.

"I haven't _gone_ anywhere, _Jack_." She'd responded back, shortly, pushing his hand away, gently, after brushing the red welt left behind. Her hazel eyes were a stark contrast compared to her tone and no matter how hard she tried to harden them toward the _stupid_ , charming grin on his face, she _couldn't_. Instead she pulled away as quickly as she could and tossed him the keys to her car, trying her best not to cry and to ignore the way her heart had sped up when he'd looked at her.

It was clear that Jack _knew_ the severity of the situation, fighting in the middle of a hardware store _wasn't_ something to be taken lightly, _nor_ bashing someone in the head, _repeatedly,_ with a wrench. He simply didn't _care_. He wasn't ignorant _or_ stupid, he'd _known_ what he was doing when he'd _done_ it. He hadn't been _overcome_ with rage, he'd calmly tossed the man into an aisle wall of various tools and went to town on his face with _one_ of them. It'd been pure luck that the man had an _illegal_ hand gun placed in his back pocket, a plea of self defense had gotten him off the charge almost immediately. _Almost_.

Jack didn't have anything to fear, nothing in the _world_ to lose or be threatened with. Except _her_.

And that made him a _little_ angry.

Juniper didn't talk to Jack for a few days.

She didn't ignore him or avoid him, she simply walked alongside him like an obedient lap dog and waited. _Waited_ for an explosion of anger or boiled over hate, toward _something_ , _anything_. But it never came. Jack just grinned at her from across the classroom and threw her winks, day by day. He'd always been really good at telling when she needed her space and _what_ he needed to do to give it to her.

Juniper hated him a little for that.

For being _so_ perfect and horrible at the same time, so _cruel_ and gentle, so _distant_ and suffocatingly _close_.

It was hard to get over someone she'd never _had_ in the first place, and she began to accept the fact that she never _truly_ would get over, Jack Napier. Everything _about_ him was perfect to her, so _painfully_ perfect that it hurt to see him at _all_ on some days and know she'd never have him.

 _She was working on it._

But it seemed like each day, _he_ was doing the opposite.

Juniper had started looking for a tutor in chemistry at the beginning of the year, an _entire_ semester _before_ the class. Gone from teacher to teacher, student to student, for help in the one subject she _knew_ she'd never survive. But to no avail, it seemed she would have to tough it out.

Until _Gregory Stiles_ came along.

He was a _bit_ obnoxious and arrogant with his gelled back hair and rim rod posture;Jack had joked a while back that he looked like he'd gotten a metal pole shoved up his ass, to which Juniper shoved him away and stifled a smile. _But,_ he was her _last_ hope, she couldn't risk any further blows to her GPA and while he was a polar opposite of Juniper's denim jacket, baggy clothing, and holey attire, she'd take what she could get. Even _if_ he looked at her like she was an idiot for the first five minutes of confrontation. _And then some._

People like _her_ didn't care about school… but she _did_.

Juniper took the taunts he threw her way while he was helping her, dealing with his arrogant lashes to her ego, the insults of her IQ didn't mean much anyhow; _How could you_ ** _not_** _know that? How'd you even get_ ** _this_** _far, I wonder?_ It wasn't anything she hadn't heard before, after all she'd taken _much_ worse many times before. A lanky, little, _twerp_ with a mouth too big for his own good meant _nothing_ to her.

But Jack, he was another story.

He hadn't even known she'd been getting help, hadn't known she'd _needed_ it, and she'd kept the sessions as quiet as possible, although it didn't _seem_ they were paying _off_ at all.

Gregory had been leaning toward her, looking over her shoulder much _too_ close to merely be looking at an equation and much _too_ long to have _not_ read it already. He did that sometimes, it was a bit misleading with all the horrible jeers _and_ touchy flirting, but she'd never expected Jack to see.

 _Or_ for him to slam the book closed on Gregory's hand, to which the boy didn't have time to respond with any more than a brief yelp before he was hauled up by his collar in the middle of the public library.

Jack had hissed something at him and thrown him away harshly to avoid any further commotion;he was on his last straw with the local police and anymore _run ins_ for the time being wouldn't be a good idea. Juniper was too focused on what she'd tell Jack than what he'd said, perhaps the _truth_ ;that she _was_ stupid.

When he'd smoothly picked up the book and read the cover Juniper was surprised at the small quirk of his lip as he turned toward her. She considered for a moment that Jack _was_ bi-polar but corrected herself when she remembered that he was just crazy.

 _However_ , Juniper hadn't expected him to plop into the seat next to her where the Stiles boy had once sat and look over her notes, grabbing her pencil and making various changes, which he explained in detail to her, when she asked.

For his temper Jack was a brilliant teacher.

Juniper cursed the world for making him so perfect, and so.. _not_.


	14. March xx, 1996

**_March 17th, 1996_**

Some days life was okay for Jack and Juniper.

 _Most_ days, it wasn't.

The weekends were usually the best for the both of them, the only time they had with each other, _alone_. Rather it was spent with Jack cornering her with a Chemistry book in his hand and a malicious smile on his face. Or, with the stereo in her room vibrating the whole house to block out the noises of the city, and the windows thrown open, they still remained the better portions of the week.

 _Most_ weekdays Juniper spent wondering what _Jack_ was doing, how _his_ classes were going, if _he_ was cutting anyone up with a sharpener blade or the jagged end of a pencil... She'd daydream in most of her classes spent without him, scenarios of another time or another world altogether. Juniper Heden was no better than the mass of girls in the world and she realized it most when she began to picture her wedding day, with large blood red roses,and the greenest grass she'd ever seen.

Her dress clung to her like a second skin and the sunset was a mixture of purples and pinks. When the wind blew lightly against her skin the sound of melodic chirping from the birds hidden in the trees came with it. It all felt so perfect.

 _And then,_ thesandy haired groom grinned at her with dark eyes.

The sound of the bell ringing pulled her from her faux world, everyone began rushing to pack their bags and meet with their friends. Juniper just sat for a moment and decided to swear off daydreaming for a bit, paying more attention in class would help her in the long run, anyhow.

Juniper found it hard to meet Jack's eyes when he walked her home that day.

A blush would form on her cheeks and she knew the feeling of butterflies in her stomach would overwhelm her, but it was difficult not to as he ranted passionately about how stupid the school board was for the suspension slip he held tightly between his rough fingers.

She wasn't too upset about not seeing Jack for a while, if she were being honest. Juniper felt a few days away from him would do them both good.

The snarl of his lips caught her attention and she nudged his shoulder as playfully as she could, and tried to pretend the action didn't give her goosebumps. When his dark eyes wandered to her's, Juniper looked away and took a deep breath as she felt heat creeping up her neck and turning her skin pink.

"Jack, you slung a _glass tube_ of _acid_ at someone." She tried to reason with him, because while she knew the asshole that had used the wrong choice of words with her hadn't been _totally_ innocent, he also hadn't deserved shards of glass being thrown in his eyes. _Luckily_ , the acid had only reached chunks of his hair and some of his shirt, or else Jack would be facing worse than a five day suspension.

Juniper wasn't stupid, there was definitely something wrong with Jack, a few too many screws loose or one too many beatings as a child. Regardless, he needed help. But that didn't mean she loved him any less, if it were a choice between him and anyone else, it'd be _him_ , in a heartbeat.

Jack wouldn't listen, she knew that, too. It would never stop her from trying, though.

When she looked back up he was staring at her, his eyes dark and piercing her's as he seemingly stared through her. Like he could see every thought she'd ever had, every experience that had ever changed her. Juniper looked away first, carving designs into the ground with her shoe.

When they'd stopped walking, she wasn't sure.

"What a joke." Jack had said it lowly but the deep tones in his voice carried it throughout the wood line with ease. His eyes were still burning into her's, even though she refused to meet his. "Don't you think, _Joon_ ** _y_**?" He grabbed her arm gently and pushed her toward the tree behind her. The bark bit into her back when she pressed against it but Jack had taken up the space in front of her before she could move away.

It wasn't like the time in her room, when he'd roughly thrown her around. His eyes were screaming at something, but it wasn't her. And his hold was as soft as it ever _could_ be. Juniper's lips parted as she breathed in and tried to ignore the fact that she could taste him in the air that filled her lungs.

"What's a joke, Jack?" His finger was twirling a piece of her hair, tickling her scalp with each stroke, but his eyes reminded her of coal and Juniper _swore_ she could see the city burning within them.

She placed her hand against his face and traced her thumb over his sharp cheekbone, the olive skin there littered with tiny freckles, reminding her of stars. " _Everything_." Jack seemed to sober up as the word passed through his lips and his mouth broke into a smile when he looked down at her, it concerned her the way his posture changed so quickly, as though he hadn't been speaking to her with destruction in his eyes, just a moment ago. It concerned her more when his lips connected with her forehead affectionately and he whispered into the trees.

"Silly girl." And that's all she was, a silly, _foolish_ girl, who'd fallen in love with another, silly, foolish boy.

Juniper couldn't remember a time she'd hated herself more.

 ** _March 18th, 1996_**

Bruce had found her in the hallway with the smug smile painting his face that seemingly never left, as of lately. Somehow, he'd found time to stop hovering over Rachel Dawes and his jock buddies to make time for Juniper. In a way, she wished he hadn't.

"There's a party this weekend, at my place… you should, uh, you should come."

Bruce scratched the back of his neck nervously. Juniper didn't talk to Bruce so much anymore, she didn't hate him or have any grudges to hold against him. Things had just… _changed_ , before, he'd been a good friend, but after his parent's death, Bruce had changed into someone she'd never talk to. _Not in a million years_.

Juniper had done what she could at the time to be there for him, but he'd stopped talking to her. It'd happened shortly after her meeting with him at the coffee house, when she'd still been a scraggly girl with barely a training bra in year nine. Martha and Thomas Wayne, shot dead in an alley. _Tragic_. Jack even seemed to hate him less now that he'd stopped talking to her.

Bruce Wayne had gone off the deep end, parties every weekend at the manor and a new girl on his arm every week.

Juniper still smiled at him in the hallway sometimes, and _sometimes_ , he smiled back. Normally, he just pretended he didn't see her. So, it was a bit surprising to find him inviting her somewhere now and Juniper knew there had to be something up. _Something_. But, she just smiled and took one of the invitations from the much larger hand. Juniper had seen the papers pinned on lockers and stuffed into doorways, if she'd have _really_ wanted to go, she could have. Why Bruce had decided to ask her personally, she didn't know.

"Alright, Bruce," And that was it, she didn't ask how he was, or how he'd been doing because she knew he'd just lie. There was no point in asking someone something they heard a million times a day.

His parents had died, _he wasn't okay_. People don't just _heal_ after watching their parents get shot. Juniper watched him walk away as she folded the paper into her pocket and forgot about it.

\- - - WARNING - - -

\- - -EXTREME VIOLENCE AND GORE- - -

People claimed she had Jack Napier following her around like a puppy, like a sandy haired, doe eyed pup, on a leash, obediently following after her.

In reality, it was her who was on the leash, waiting for her master to return and wondering what he was doing. It was more apparent when he wasn't there, of course. Each day that week, Juniper had gone to the wrong classes, found herself staring into space as her assignments glowed and bubbled over onto the desk in Chemistry.

And now, she stood in the middle of the court yard watching the ninth grader get shoved to the ground by an auburn haired junior, for her status, her appearance. The younger girl's glasses cracked on the asphalt, beneath the other's foot. An unfair fight.

People stood around, cheering, goading both parties into continuing the brawl that hadn't been chosen by the freshman.

If there was _one_ thing Juniper couldn't stand, _it was bullying._

The type of anger one gets from seemingly nowhere, white, _hot_. From too many things at once, tipping a person over the edge and Juniper _snapped_. One moment, she'd been merely observing the catastrophe of the court yard and the next she'd been above the rusty haired girl. Red had blurred her vision and she was scraping the girl's face against the cement as hard as she could, until she saw pieces of the other's skin mix with the ruby colored blood in the cracks. Nobody had pulled her off when she'd begun slamming the girl's head into it, the resounding dull knocks, seemed to feed the monster that had welled up inside of Juniper.

She felt the anger fade when large hands grasped each of her wrists and pulled her away from the bleeding, marred, and unconscious body, into warm arms. She could sense Jack Napier a mile away, and this _wasn't him_. Her hazel eyes connected with Bruce's as he stared down at Juniper with the same concern she knew displayed on her own face when she looked at Jack.

And she felt _guilty_.

For making another bleed and hurt because she hurt _too_ , for possibly scarring the girl for life and for making Bruce worry, when _someone_ should worry about _him_. How Jack could do something so much _worse_ , so _often_ , she didn't understand.

Juniper waited until she got into the office, _away_ from everyone's shock and horror, _away_ from the Freshman's unspoken gratitude, _away_ from Bruce Wayne's concerned eyes, to cry.

She took the suspension slip wordlessly from the counselor's pudgy fingers and didn't meet his disappointed blue eyes when he began his lecture. She flipped the yellow paper over to see she'd be coming back the exact day Jack would return and she smiled, sadly.

 _Something_ was going to have to change, she knew. Juniper had grown out of school fights and physical violence. She'd been so _young_ , and angry at life, for taking her father and leaving her with a mother that didn't care. But, Jack fought for the pain, to inflict and to receive. He didn't get overwhelmed and lash out, he did it to control people, to keep them close or away. To scare them into obedience.

Juniper heaved a broken sigh and twirled the slip in her hand.

 _Something_ , was going to have to change.


	15. March xx, 1996 continued

**_March 19th, 1996_**

Two days into his suspension, Jack got a letter in the mail, summoning him to court. _One fight too many_ , the counselor's words had been monotonous, nasally, having little affect on him as he received the familiar, yellow slip;Jack hadn't taken it _too_ seriously. Now, in the overbearing daylight, the early afternoon, he held up the neatly, creased document, signed with fancy, cursive, and found that he _still_ didn't _really_ give a shit.

However, Juniper showing up at his house with bloodied knuckles and dark red staining her shirt had his jaw tensing with a worry that he would never express in words.

She wiped her crying eyes with clenched fists and sniffled up at his form on the stairs of his front porch. Jack stuffed the envelope into the back pocket of his jeans, _the document be damned_ and reached a long, toned arm out to wrap around the dip of her spine. Juniper was pliant as she followed his lead, like a worn rag doll, and for a moment she forgot why she'd been upset at all.

The broken flesh of her aching fists, reminded her.

The air felt cold when he pulled away, like the blanket had been ripped from around her. But, Juniper wouldn't beg to be held, she wouldn't beg for anything, not even from him. Her legs felt like they would crumble into pieces when she followed him into his house, each time her feet left the ground, jitters would trail up the tense muscle. Jack pushed her onto the bed and covered her with the discarded blanket when the door to his room closed, he disappeared behind it, again, a moment later.

Juniper could have cried when he placed the steaming mug down on the nightstand for her, with a humble clink of the ceramic to the wood. His large hand found her thigh and she was grateful to have practically grown up with Jack Napier. Because, if not, she'd have never seen past the aloof stare. When she closed her eyes, maybe she didn't mean to lean forward, and press her mouth to his. On any normal occasion, she'd have pulled away, apologized profusely, and ran like hell. But, on this one, Juniper just noted the way he faintly tasted of coffee, and cigarettes.

If it had been anyone else, they'd have been shoved away, thrown across the room, or beaten within an inch of their life. Jack had never shown the slightest attraction toward anyone, she'd never caught him ogling or even staring at a girl or guy passing by. He'd never made much physical contact with anyone, other than to crack his fist against someone's nose. So, Juniper was clueless to whatever the outcome could have been, other than the latter. If, it had been anyone else.

He didn't respond, at first. His lips were soft against her's and she couldn't feel the bite of his teeth that she would have, if he had responded any faster. Perhaps, it was because when, he pulled back, without a reaction, her face had fallen, or her eyes had tearlessly cried. Perhaps, it was out of pity when Jack pulled her forward with a calloused finger, and tilted her face up to place a chaste kiss on her red lips. But, it puzzled her how it always seemed he knew exactly what to do to make everything feel alright.

How ironic it was that while, he was the very person that had taken her life, and dissected it, piece by piece. He was also the only one who cared to filled the empty gaps he'd made.

Juniper just laid her head on his chest and cried.

She woke up in his arms, while she should have probably gone _home_ , instead of coming to the Napier residence at all, she couldn't force herself to move. Such opportunities with Jack, rarely showed themselves. Juniper watched the rise and fall of his chest, before her very own eyes, and if she listened _real_ hard, she could hear the faint beating of his heart.

When Juniper worked up the courage to peak up at him, she expected to see him staring down at her, in annoyance, with dark umber eyes. He wasn't.

Jack's tan complexion was turned down, in its usual, frowning way. But the anger that usually curled his lip and snarled his nose was missing, replaced with an expression that, Juniper would have easily likened to an Adonis. The peaceful flutter of his eyelids, all the way down to the pouting lips, that called out to her for a kiss.

She refused to be tricked by such things that were, but could never truly, be.

No, closing her eyes, and listening to the proof that, Jack Napier, did have a ticking heart, was a much safer option.

He still wasn't awake when she awoke, again.

Or so she _thought_ , until the firey, brown eyes, snapped open when the _whooshing_ sound of a pillow neared.

It was too late, though. The offending object hit him head face on, and the resounding grunt of irritation pushed the smile on her face, to a happy, mischievous giggle.

Jack's mouth quirked up, in a faux twist of a smirk, more out of dry hilarity than actual humor. But, it was okay, Juniper found that funny, too.

 **-** ** _\- - undated - - -_**

They never spoke of the kiss. Not for weeks to come, and Juniper could easily guess that years would follow that, too. It never happened, again, either. At the time, she'd figured it never would, and did her best to remember the soft way his lips had crushed her's.

She remembered, too well, in fact.

And even when Jack was out of the picture, long gone, she'd compare each kiss to her first.

\- - - **_Log_** \- - -

 _I know I haven't written in this stupid journal in a while, but, man, have I got news._

 _I kissed_ ** _Jack_** _._

 _I don't know_ ** _why_** _I kissed him, it felt right, but there was no plan or logical thinking behind it. I'd been foolish, and disgustingly emotional. And, Jack, well, I've wanted to kiss him ever since I saw him in my room, after our last, real, big fight. But, I never thought I'd be able to do it. Or, that he'd let me._

 _I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling of Jack Napier's lips against my own, or how gentle they'd been, how gentle they_ ** _couldn't_** _be, just because it was,_ ** _Jack_** _._

 _Nothing about him is sweet, or loving. But, he tried and that's all that matters. He cared enough to try, so he cares about me, too, right? Maybe. I dunno, man._

 _But, if he really wanted to, he'd do it again._

 _I doubt it, but my dad always used to say, 'Nothing's impossible, Joon, unless you,_ ** _yourself_** _, make it that way.'_

 _I sure do hope he was right._

 _Whatever, man, we'll see someday. I guess._

 _-Joony xxx_


	16. April xx, 1996

**_April 16th, 1996_**

 _He didn't kiss her, again._

 _She'd like to pretend that it hadn't hurt, that she hadn't let hope blossom inside her, that she wasn't hopelessly in love with Jack Napier._

 _But , she did, and she was._

Juniper wasn't sure _why_ she did the things that she did.

For instance, kissing Jack Napier.

 _Or_ , going to Bruce Wayne's party. Perhaps, it was because of curiosity and boredom, maybe even just a desire for something _different_. A taste of the unknown. Either way, she found herself shrugging the baggy jean jacket from her shoulders, as she stepped through the over sized, glass doors of the Wayne Manor. The overbearing heat, and smell of booze hit her immediately, smoke burned her lungs with each inhale. Juniper sighed, classic high school party.

While she'd always looked the type, or was associated with the cliche cliques that smoked, and drank, and fucked one another's brains out on the weekends, Juniper had never been one to do any of those things. She was more of the background noise in each room, a simple filler, with nothing to offer or gain. She simply _existed._ But an impulse for _something_ different, was nearly clawing at her insides. Juniper could no longer simply exist. It wasn't good enough anymore.

Her heart ached from everything, a simple brush of the shoulder had the possibility of resulting in her keeling over dead in that moment. It hurt, nothing and everything, all at once. Her rapidly declining mental state, Jack's lips, Jack's eyes, Jack's brash personality that was _constantly_ changing, a never ending cycle of _'what if'_ s and ' _what now_ 's, piled all into one being, into one _Jack_. Marion's condescending smiles and sharp eyes, the cold feeling of the brand new, shimmering, gold ring on her mother's left hand striking her face into a bloody purple. It was all too much, all at once. Juniper was only one _person_ , she could only take so much. _Everyone_ has their breaking point. Her's was past due.

And that was why, when the boy she'd recognized from her English class, with the watchful gray eyes, and darkened, chapped lips, offered her the red solo cup, _that was not_ ** _quite_** _the shade of red Jack preferred_ , she took it.

They were on the hood of someone's car, it was a horrid, puke green jalopy that had seen better days, and she was likely to get tetanus just from sitting on the hood, but the guy-Kyle, his name _could_ have been, Juniper wasn't sure. But, his hand was cold on the skin of her back, and then her neck, and then her stomach. He was everywhere, but _he_ wasn't **him**.

Juniper figured if she just _kept_ kissing him then maybe it would get better.

Or, she would forget how it felt to kiss anyone else. Especially **him**.

At this point, anything would do.

It was past three when she realized it wasn't _working_.

 _Kenny-Kyle-whatever-his-face_ , wasn't helping, and neither was his tongue on her neck. The drugs he'd _probably_ laced her drink would have worn off **long** ago, and he _still_ hadn't figured out how to unclasp her bra.

And, that she also couldn't continue referring to Jack as **_him_** all night.

Juniper sighed and pushed _Kaleb-or-whatever_ away, ignoring his overplayed slurring of words as she headed to her own car and away from the chill of the night.

If she pretended it never happened, then maybe it'd go away.

 ** _April 27th, 1997_**

If God himself had appeared before her in the middle of the night and told her that she'd be sitting in court, with Jack Napier, as she was now, she'd have laughed in his face, and dismissed his holy omen with the wave of her hand. But that was where she sat, a week from that night at Bruce Wayne's party, staring at the back of Jack Napier's sandy curls, that were slicked back with gel, for the first time, neatly kept.

Jack hadn't cared enough to straighten himself up, of course. He was above the law, the silly, meager, dismissive words of his so-called superiors. But, he'd leaned down obediently in the cramped confines of his own bathroom, and let her run her fingers over the messy, soft, tendrils, and straighten a tie around his neck.

He looked like a grown man. With his skyscrapers of legs, dark brooding eyes of embers, and olive skin. He looked handsome. But, Juniper couldn't remember a time when she thought he hadn't.

For the most part, the judge's words were lost upon her, she squinted to understand them, as though it would help. Juniper had no idea what the middle aged, wrinkling judge was speaking of. At least, she hadn't known of it before. Vandalism of public property, multiple charges of theft, extreme violent tendencies, while everything that was spoken of, _did_ sound like Jack, she prayed, for the first time in a _while_ , that it was all a mistake. A nightmare and she'd wake up and still be in his arms, that it was still the day she'd appeared teary eyed on his porch, and not, _here_.

The gavel cracked against the sleek wood of the thrown that the old man sat at, glowering at Jack, like a disappointed father. As though every problem in the world had been caused by Jack Napier. The words that left his twisted, thin lips, had a flash of hot shock running through Juniper, as though she'd just bitten through a live wire and her heart felt stuttered.

"It seems as though you just can't take a lesson for what it is, boy." Jack hated the way he talked to him, he could see the reflection of his father in the judge's eyes, he didn't even need to squint.

"You've been to the detention centers on and off countless times, given multiple chances, and you take it _all_ for granted. You _always_ end back up at the same place." Juniper bit her tongue and Jack made a mocking clicking sound with his teeth as he cocked his head up at the judge, condescendingly.

"Minimum of twenty years should do you good, _boy_? You think? That way you don't have to keep making trips, you can just _stay_ for a while?"

That was the question that had stopped Juniper's breathing, altogether. Time flashed before her eyes, of the sandy blonde boy, with wild, unkempt curls, and dark eyes, towering over her in the courtyard, laughter on his pouting lips, she could remember the brisk chill of the wind, and the comforting heat of the sun, she could remember the smell of wet asphalt, and the deep, tinted hue of purple rushing through her chest.

The same kid, a bit older, rolling lazily in her bed, with an uncharacteristic lopsided grin, stretched out, his long limbs everywhere, laughter filled the room, but emotion already had her full to the brim. Juniper didn't have to even think hard to see the way his eyes glowed in the setting sun, on their long trek from school, to her house. While Jack's eyes were dark and brown, they could have lit up an entire room when he smiled. The golden hues hidden within the abyss, shone through, and the specks of green had her heart skipping beats. Jack Napier didn't even need to try, he was effortless, but Juniper, she was hopeless.

The silence in the room brought her back, an awkward cough from someone in the balcony floor above her, her hands felt swollen from being clenched together so long. She pressed harder.

"But, you see, son, I'm a man of reason, even to those who do not _deserve it_."

The old man's eyes, blue, or grey, green or brown, it didn't matter, all Juniper could see was the pointed glare he settled on Jack. A fire burned in her lungs, and she felt a cold, dull yellow replace the purple, a mixture of heated aggression, and irrational fear swept through her in waves, because it wasn't _fair_. The person she loved was a nihilistic bastard who only thought of himself, and everyone else didn't _understand_. They only saw the bad, the dark, the cruel, where there was _more_ , there was _always_ more. Nobody was a blank slate, not even Jack Napier.

A year before she had met Jack Napier, there had been an old dog, named Cooper. He'd belonged to her reclusive neighbors, a doberman, with pointed teeth, like razor blades and a snarl meaner than the devil himself. Her mother always warned her to stay away from him, that he was rabid, a _demon_ , her exact words. And for the most part, Juniper had. Only passing him on her way to school. He was indeed, a demon dog, for as long as she let him be so. All it had taken was a late night, locked out of her house and a shared portion of her leftover lunch sandwich to make a proper companion of him. Cooper had been her best friend for a while, the best possible company she could've asked for. Until her neighbor had decided to make him a target for practice. Juniper had cried for weeks, months after, but nobody had cared, they saw what they wanted to see, what they wanted him to be, a mean mutt. _Not_ an abused puppy.

It was easy to liken Jack to the memory. But nobody else would _see_ what she saw, they were too busy watching the defiant delinquent. Not the ill boy. The judge used the title as though it were an insult, but refused to look at the truth inside of his own words. Jack had not been raised, had not _learned_ the way other children had, how they all could just _expect_ him to agree with the world that had shut him out, confused Juniper, greatly.

She could admit that Jack needed help, but _prison_ wasn't a therapist. It was a breeding ground, if he went, once he left, the only path, would be for him to return, or become a criminal. Nobody wanted a cast away to work for them.

Juniper held on tightly to the judge's next words. Anything. Anything at all.

"A plea bargain. An interest has already approved, but you would serve time within the military in order to wipe your record clean. Now, Mr. Napier, I don't offer this to everyone. But, it seems to me you've got a problem with authority, and I can't _stand_ to see a boy, with such potential, as yourself, fall just like some lowly criminal." Juniper thought she might have actually fainted and hallucinated the judge's words, but unfortunately, the pinch she gave to the inside of her thigh didn't wake her up. This was Jack's reality. _Her_ reality.

Jack's low grade lawyer nearly jumped onto the desk in glee, "He'll take it!"

 _It only got worse._

Once returning from the court house- _that Henry Napier failed to make an appearance at_ -Jack worked on calming a hysterical Juniper. It felt like her heart was crumbling, tearing itself apart, as to not give Jack the chance to. _Six years,_ Jack would be away, for six years. Only to return, and still be in the listings, for the two that he returned. Eight years. Two thousand, nine hundred, and twenty entire days that had the potential to rip Jack Napier from her life, and _end his_ as well.

It wasn't fair.

Jack held onto Juniper that night as she slept, and pretended that _she_ was the one, clasping desperately onto him. He pretended that _she_ was the one with the heartbeat of a hummingbird.

Jack was a good pretender.


	17. May-June xx, 1996

**_-/AN/-I would like you all to know that I read every single review, and I appreciate every last one of them. They never fail to bring a smile to my lips and inspiration to my writing, much love. xxx_**

 ** _May 14_** ** _th_** ** _, 1996_**

 _She'd fallen asleep, to the sound of Jack's heartbeat, and had awoken to bellowing screams._

It wasn't _enough_ that Henry's son would be sent away for years, because he hadn't been the father to a boy who had known nothing other than violence. It hadn't been _enough_ that she would never get to see him grow fully into the man he would become. Or, that she would no longer hear the deep hum of his voice as he slept peacefully above her. It would never be _enough_ for the pathetic alcoholic Jack had once called ' _dad_.'

Juniper tossed the duvet away and swept toward the door as Jack sauntered through it, as calm as ever. As though he hadn't just been in a screaming match with his father, his dark eyes tore through her in the darkness, and his bicep felt like a furnace when she grasped it in her hand. Juniper had never gone through the trouble of asking Jack if he was alright, he'd never been one to lie to her, and she didn't want some foolish question to be the reason he started.

She thought he might kiss her, as she watched him through the inky darkness, that coated the air. But he only caressed her cheek with his thumb and pulled her back to bed, murmuring something sarcastically that she couldn't hear. Juniper rolled her eyes, and although he couldn't have seen, she heard his usual, resounding grunt.

When she closed her eyes, she couldn't tell if she'd simply fallen asleep, or the blank abyss had swallowed her whole.

 ** _May 15_** ** _th_** ** _, 1996_**

He'd kicked a rock at her.

A piece of gravel, a light gray pebble, no different from any of the rest, as she sat on the side of the trail, scuffing the dirt with her shoes. It had landed on her boot, right on the top, innocently, like it had been there all along. Juniper looked up at Jack, dryly. He'd been trying for nearly a month, to get her to smile, and prance around with him, like what was happening, _wasn't_. And she'd been _trying_ , but every grin had been pretend and Jack only got angry when she lied.

Juniper tossed the rock back toward him with the flick of her shoe, and watched while he made a show of shuffling the pebble, as though he were juggling pins of fire with his feet. _What a clown Jack could be._

"You're such a _joker_ , Jack. How you can go from being an _asshole,_ to a circus clown, I'll _never_ know." But the amusement on her face was enough for him to continue his charade with a dramatic bow.

"Why of _course_ **_Joo_** n **y** ," Jack kneeled down in front of Juniper, and beamed at her through the blinding, golden hue of the sun that sank through the trees. "I'll join a _circus_ act and change my name to _Joker_ , for ya'." He moved his hands, animatedly in the distance, gesturing to things she couldn't see. "We can just _run away_ , and leave all this, _uh_ , **bullshit** , behind us, _doll-_ **f** ** _ace._** _W_ _hat d'ya say_?"

Juniper puffed out a laugh and fought the urge to smash her lips against his own. An unwelcome feeling of heat bubbled in her stomach and if the blush on her cheeks didn't give away her away, then the stare of adoration surely did. Juniper cleared her throat and shook off her nerves, the decision to gently tap Jack's shoes with her own seemed a much safer choice.

"Can't say I haven't thought about it."

His squinting eyes softened, but she refused to look up.

 ** _June 1_** ** _st_** ** _, 1996_**

Jack was leaving.

She sat in her rusty, blue Volkswagen, in the crowded parking lot of the airport, _pretending_. Juniper's eyes were red and puffy, irritated from the salty tears that trailed down her face. Jack had gone ahead with his luggage, as soon as he'd shut the car door, the waterworks had begun. Falling down her face, like a constant Spring rain. But, Juniper just continued her attempts at convincing herself that _this_ wouldn't last.

 _One,_

 _Two,_

 _Three._

Over and _over_ , until she'd finally stopped gasping for breath through her tears. A tap on her driver's side window had her jumping, with a raspy grunt. The old woman on the other side looked through the window, motioning gently to calm the hysterical girl down. Juniper peered through the glass at her, suspiciously. In a city like Gotham, nobody could ever be too careful, especially with strangers, no matter their appearance. _Finally_ , Juniper cautiously rolled her window down, and watched blankly as the woman's manicured hand patted her arm, affectionately.

"I don't mean to pry, sweetie." Her soft eyes were crowded with crows feet, and sparkled with a gentleness that Juniper had never experienced. "But, I saw your boyfriend going in, with the duffel." She paused and looked down, swallowing, with an almost _fond_ sadness. Juniper didn't bother opening her mouth to correct the woman. "My husband was in the service, _too_." The lady smiled at Juniper, and she could have sworn she'd never seen anything _so pure_. "Fifteen _years_." There was a nod that rustled the gray braid, pulled up on the woman's head, as though she were recalling the very day she'd watched him go. "Don't you _worry_ , he'll find his way back to you." The words were spoken _so surely_ , it was as though she'd just told Juniper an omen, a fortune she'd seen, with her _very_ own eyes.

Wise, aged orbs met hazel so gracefully, and with precision, the woman spoke again, quietly, so much that Juniper didn't register the words. Not until the old woman was getting in her car and driving away.

" _My Jack always did._ "

Juniper called out an uncertain 'thank-you' and watched as the woman sped off, her manicured hand waving out behind her. The sky seemed to break, and the sun rose, dousing the city in light, seeming to follow the lady as she drove. As though the universe had been anticipating the conversation between herself and the mystery woman.

With a reluctant sigh, Juniper wiped her eyes and stepped out of the car. The door was slammed unnecessarily hard behind her and she let out a scream of frustration, kicking her bumper, before gathering herself and storming inside the massive airport.

She thought that maybe, if she held on long enough, Jack would miss his flight and not have to go. And he would have let her, _if_ there had been a choice. But, there wasn't one, and he _had_ to go. So, he left her with the promise of returning, and Juniper, well,she finally let him lie.


	18. August xx, 1996-October xx, 1997

**an; I realize I haven't been as active as I usually am, but, I plan to update more regularly now, and hope to get more serious about my writing. So, please, feel free to leave me notes.**

 **ALSO, I realize the history is very legitimate, but please, this is a fictional story, of my making, so please, just enjoy it.**

 **Thank you, much love xxx**

 ** _August 10_** ** _th_** ** _, 1996_**

Jack's first letter had come in the mail.

It wasn't hard to recognize the familiar, flowery page, torn from the journal she'd shoved into his bag. Or his messy, handwriting, all of the i's dotted with smiley faces. If Juniper held the note close enough, she could smell his cologne, and almost imagine him writing it. To her disappointment, the content of the letter was shorter than she would have preferred. She simply clenched the page, her knuckles faded to white with the pressure, and her eyes stung. The dull ache in her chest had never left.

Juniper tried to remind herself to be understanding, it _was_ only his first letter, after all.

Regardless, she still made sure to tape it to her vanity mirror, next to the old polaroid of them, standing side by side, at the city fair, sweaty and grinning. Looking back on that day, Juniper had never seen him smile _so_ wide, nothing could speed up her heartbeat so quickly.

And despite the years to come, _nothing_ in Juniper's mind would compare to Jack Napier's blushing grin.

 ** _October 23_** ** _rd_** ** _,1996_**

The letters were continuous, but always short.

Juniper never complained, _how could she?_ It was enough for her to simply hear he was alright.

Still, she never responded when he asked how she was- _Juniper was so tired of lying._

 ** _November 4_** ** _th_** ** _, 1996_**

Jack wasn't _really_ supposed to tell her what he was doing.

But, she could tell he'd let his excitement get the best of him while writing the letter, it was scribbled- _more so than usual_ -and, about a paragraph long-an honest improvement. The words on the page, jumped out at her immediately…

Jack was making _bombs_ -legally, this time, of course .

Juniper couldn't say she was surprised at the news, and only thought to pray that he didn't have any kind of accident, or _die_.

 _She'd stopped believing in a God a long time ago._

 ** _December 28_** ** _th_** ** _, 1996_**

A photo fell from the battered, cream colored envelope.

The gasp that escaped her lips left her annoyed, at nobody but herself. She'd been so _skittish_ lately. Now that Jack was gone, she didn't get out much. _There wasn't really a reason to._

Juniper didn't dwell on the thought for long, instead she reached for the fallen print, her fingers clumsily turned the image around. The smile felt foreign when it split her lips, it'd been months since she'd even had a happy thought.

It was funny, a single photo of the boy that she'd missed so dearly-that had _caused_ her the pain of missing him-brought a grin to her face, almost immediately.

Jack was leaned up against a green jeep, his hair cut shorter- _she preferred it long,_ nearly white beneath the sun. The camouflage uniform was baggy, but he filled it out nicely, with toned muscles. The boy she'd known months prior, had seemingly transformed into a healthy looking man. His olive skin glowed in the daylight, and his eyes sparkled at the camera, an actual smile graced his lips.

His feet were steady on the orange looking sand beneath him, the sky a shade of blue, that the polluted atmosphere of Gotham could never fathom. It was beautiful, and Juniper was filled with a selfish sorrow for herself, because _she_ wasn't there with him. That _he_ wasn't here with her, or at least suffering the same.

 _She wondered if he even missed her. But, the photo was placed on her vanity-all the same._

 ** _February 13_** ** _th_** ** _, 1997_**

 _It was freezing in Gotham._

Her jacket wasn't what it once was, the air bit her skin through the flimsy material, and holes that had been worn into it. Juniper was so tired of being cold, and hungry, and poor. Sick of everything, having a crappy boss, a worthless mother, a best friend nearly eight thousand miles away. Life was cruel, a sick joke that she couldn't bring herself to laugh at any longer.

Some mornings she couldn't move from the bed, for lack of motivation.

It was never easy, driving past the Napier residence. Juniper could park her car in the driveway and stare at Jack's old window for hours, pretending he was still home, that at any moment, he'd look out and smile at her- _take her breath away._

This time, Juniper didn't just park the car-she got out.

The climb up the roof was harder than she'd remembered it, her arms shook as she pulled herself up to the glass window. The old wood let out a horrible squeal when she pulled it open, and Juniper hoped Henry wasn't home to hear.

Simply stepping inside the room had a brick of nostalgic weighing on her chest, his cologne was so strong, it felt like he was right behind her. But, Jack wasn't.

 _Juniper left with an armful of his clothes, and a pillow, tucked under her arm._

 ** _April 4_** ** _th_** ** _, 1997_**

Juniper decided to finally send him a photo of herself, for his birthday. Her lipstick stained the back of the picture in red.

Jack had been asking for a polaroid since March.

He said it was so he could see her again, _somehow_. Juniper had been surprised when he'd asked- _surprised_ when he'd admitted to missing her.

She missed him too, so much that it hurt.

 _Happy Birthday, Jack-My Joker xxx_

 ** _September 27_** ** _th_** ** _, 1997_**

" _...in attempt to delay the Taliban's new progress, to capture the Afghanistan capital, Kabul-We are sending in troops to their aid-In other news…_ "

She didn't hear anything else, Juniper fell to the floor, on her knees, sobbing loudly.

The world continued on, but her's stopped on September 27th, 1997, at three fifteen, on a Friday.

 _There was nothing else to do, she waited for another letter._

 ** _November 19_** ** _th_** ** _, 1997_**

 _Jack's letter never came._

Juniper spent weeks waiting, by the window to watch the mail, come and go. But, nothing. Like a loyal, pining dog, she still sat and remained.

It was the beginning of Autumn, the leafs were beginning to fall off the trees again Juniper had just gotten off work, a long ten hour shift, she was tired, and sore. But, she'd stopped when she saw that Henry's car was parked in the driveway of his home, she hadn't seen it in days.

Her nerves caused her hand to tremble as she knocked, gently, against the off-white door. _No response._

Juniper sucked in a breath of air, and tried again, _louder._ A groan could be heard from the other side, but it was clear that Jack's drunken father wasn't going to answer, he'd probably drank himself into another one of his week-end stupors.

She bit her lip, knowing she should just turn around, and go home. Instead, Juniper pulled one of the rusty pins from her hair, and jammed it into the key hole, twisting it, until she heard a click.

The door hummed as she stepped through it, Juniper headed straight for the table in the hallway, recklessly discarding the mail on top of it, that was of no importance to her.

Until, she came across a bundle of unopened, cream colored envelopes, without stamps, neglected beneath the pile. From Jack, to his dad. His foolish father, who'd never done anything, but _beat him_. Juniper felt a surge of jealousy, and hot rage flourish inside of her as she saw one marked _October thirteenth_. The sole one with a stamp, just a tiny photo of an eagle on the glossy, small square.

She felt disregarded. Not to mention confused, as to _why_ , Jack would bother writing his pathetic father, and _completely_ ignore her letters. With a frustrated sigh Juniper pushed the stack of envelopes into her jacket pocket, and hurried home.

Juniper had spread the notes out on her bed, the first she picked up was marked _August 11_ _th_ _, 1996_. She'd broke the seal, her palms sweating.

 _Hey, Henry, it's me, Jack, I know we don't talk much, but I thought, maybe-_

Juniper shoved the note back into it's casing, and pushed it away. She knew she could never invade Jack's privacy like that _. If he ever found out…_ Juniper bit her lip. The one labeled October jumped out at her, though. She grabbed that one instead, and forced herself to open it.

Her brows furrowed as she read, the neat penmanship that clearly, wasn't Jack's. Juniper re-read the script, multiple times. Her confusion only grew worse, and the pain in her chest only increased, more-so than it had in the past year.

It took a moment to for her to realize she was hyperventilating, but nobody would be there to help her. _Jack was gone_. Her vision lost focus with tears, and dots clouded her vision. As Juniper fell back against her pillows, the words she'd read _at least_ a dozen times, echoed beneath her eyelids.

 _Dear Henry Napier,_

 _The Secretary of War desires me to express his deep regret that your son,_ _Jack Andrew Napier_ _has been reported missing in action since_ _the 30th of September_ _._ _If further details or other information are received you will be promptly notified._

 _Our condolences_


	19. November xx, 1997-January xx, 1998 END

_**AN: ** Make sure to favorite this story, and bookmark it. This is the end of this story, but, I will be making a second-to follow up-YES! A SERIES! YAAAAY!_

 _ALSO FOR THE LOVE OF F#CK, DON'T COPY MY STORY, PLEASE. There's truly not a worse slap in the face, than seeing someone posting near identical chapters. Not saying names :)_

 _Feel free to comment, I love hearing from you guys! 3 xxx_

 ** _November 22_** ** _nd_** ** _, 1997_**

 _There was someone beating on the front door._

At first, she'd mistaken it for the sound of her own heartbeat. Thunder in the distance, barely an echo in her ear. It couldn't have been louder than a whisper, the noise was distorted, it felt as though she were underwater, drowning, _slowly_. Her lungs were heavy with emotion, just breathing had begun to hurt. Juniper hadn't stepped foot from her room in days, she only hated herself more for the pity party she'd unintentionally begun to throw herself.

The bedroom door crashed against the wall as it was forced open, and Juniper was momentarily distracted from her episode. She could hear someone, but their voice was background noise, overpowered with ease by the deep timber of _his_ , so loud, clear, as though he was right there beside her. How she wished he were.

 _"Come on now,_ Joo **ny** _. Let's not make this any harde_ r _then it's gotta' be, yeah?"_

 _"Juniper?" No, that wasn't right. He_ rarely _called her that._

"Juniper?" The haze in her mind began to clear up. Suddenly, Juniper became very aware, of how close the voice was to her ear. The voice that _wasn't_ Jack's.

She jumped up. In her peripheral, she could see her mother, Marion, back away cautiously. The girl already knew that she was a sight to take in, with her unwashed, tangled, frizzy hair, and puffy, red, irritated eyes, not to mention the clothing she hadn't had the energy to change, in days. Juniper rubbed the sleep, and dried tears from her eyes, roughly, before she turned toward her mother, her hazel eyes, squinted in confusion.

Marion rarely _ever_ entered her room, let alone woke her up, randomly. It was one of the only _good_ things about living with the woman.

But, there she stood, annoyingly, hovering above Juniper, tapping her bedroom slipper clad foot, on the hard wood flooring. Juniper simply stared at her, expectantly. Marion made sure to make a show of clearing her throat, and trying to look annoyed at her daughter.

"Please, explain to me, why that Napier _bastard's_ father is banging on our front door, slurring _shit_ about his _letters_ , _hhm_?" The woman herself didn't look as though she'd been sleeping much, but Juniper just pushed past her, the bundle of letters making their way into her hand, on her way through the door.

"Jack's gone M.I.A." There was silence-a long, pregnant, pause from her mother, Juniper didn't have the patience to wait. The younger girl had already made her way down the stairs, it was clear what awaited her. There was no surprise shown on her face as she pulled the door open, and a drunken, Henry Napier, toppled in, nearly on top of her. He looked as though he'd already _died_ of alcohol poisoning, the whites of his eyes appeared yellow, and bloodshot. The hair on his face patchy, and not even the dark circles beneath his once chocolate orbs, escaped the glossy sheen of oil on his aged face. The once handsome man had lost himself, but Juniper didn't have an ounce of sympathy for the monster stood in front of her. For Jack's sake, she braced his weight, and slung his arm over her shoulder.

"Mr. Napier, we need to get you to a _hospital_. Can you hear me?" He didn't respond, Juniper sighed, frustrated the man she didn't want to help in the _first_ place, was refusing _said help_.

He mumbled incoherently, and the hazel eyed girl shifted closer to the man, intent on ignoring the rancid smell of his breath, and instead, hearing his jumbled words.

"My…" Henry paused, as though he'd forgotten his intentions. "My letters, _girl_." He spat the word at her, as though _he_ should be disgusted with her, and before Juniper could react, the back of his meaty, calloused hand, made contact with her jaw. In her ears, it was like a crack of lightening, a hot, pulsating in her cheek, that spread through her entire being. Juniper didn't have to retaliate, she watched from the floor, as he made his way into her house, hell bent on finding the _precious_ letters his son had sent him, that he hadn't even _bothered_ reading. Henry didn't take five steps from his previous position, by the threshold of the front door, when he collapsed, face first, on the carpet of Marion's living room floor.

Juniper hesitated, childishly, thinking it a ruse. Her hand had occupied the space of her assaulted skin, before taking notice of the older man's form, shaking, fitfully, into the stained rug.

For a moment, it crossed her mind, to just leave him there. Let him feel the pain he'd put his son through his entire life. Then, Juniper thought, of what would happen if Jack did come home- _and he would, he had to_ -just to find out his father had died, not to mention on _her_ living room floor.

Juniper crawled over to the man, as quickly as she could, and turned his stout form to the side. She wasted no time on the stairs, instead grabbing the telephone, and dialing for help. The girl inhaled deeply, and spoke as calmly as she could.

"We need an ambulance, there's a man on my living room floor, by the name of Henry Napier, _he's having a seizure_."

Juniper, _despite her hatred for the man_ ,visited the hospital for the month Henry was enlisted for bed rest.

She found, that while a callous, brute of a man, Henry Napier, had to harbor _some type_ of paternal emotion for his son. _After all,_ he had come after his letters.

On the last day, she left Jack's bundle of mail next to the food tray, on the empty table, designated for cards, and flowers that _most_ patients received. She thought it looked, at least a _bit_ better, with those.

 _I_ _f nothing else_ , she thought, _maybe_ , they could clasp onto their hope, that Jack Napier would return. _Some day_.

Juniper found a battered, slip of paper, in the place of the letters, the next day.

To _Jack_ , signed _, Henry Napier._

 ** _January 22_** ** _nd_** ** _, 1998_**

 _Jack was presumed dead._

They'd found strands of his blood, and hair, in the debris of a premature bomb. One that had his fingerprints _all over_ it. Nobody found a body, but, in the aftermath, there wasn't much to _look for_ , but charred earth, and destruction.

The sobs that escaped Juniper's lips were inhuman, filled with bitter hatred, and despair. A blinding ache that only widened the empty feeling in her stomach, akin to an abyss, of sorts.

 _On January 22_ _nd_ _, 1998, Juniper Heden lost herself, her hope, and all that_ ** _she_** _ever was._

 ** _January 24_** ** _th_** ** _, 1998_**

 _It was hard to sit, and pretend._

Juniper always had a safety net to fall back onto, it seemed, she could always stare into a space, and think of something else- _convince_ herself, that _this_ , wasn't happening. Even though she _knew_ it was, she'd known he'd never return to her the day she let him climb the ramp, and enter the plane.

Her nails dug into her palms, she tried her best to think of something else, to distract herself from the cruel reality of the situation _. It wasn't working._

 _No_ , the girl stared blankly into the stained-glass window of the church, and swore it stared back at her, as she hung on to each, and every syllable the preacher spoke. Juniper wanted to choke him, watch as the life left his eyes, as he regretted ever speaking words of Jack Napier's _faults_.

Jack had faults, alright. _A lot_ of them.

But, every person that took up space in the room, stole the air, and hogged the attention with their greedy mouths, had _faults_.

Because each, and every one of them, had only decided to attend Jack Napier's funeral, to boast, about his bravery, and how they all felt _protected_ with him, _watching over them_. How _sorry_ they were that, his _girlfriend_ - _Juniper_ -had to go through this. And if she needed anything _, anything at all_ - **bullshit**. They knew _nothing_ , nobody had chosen to recognize Jack for his existence, until it had gotten _them_ something.

Calling Juniper his _girlfriend_ was a clear, flashing, red flag for that. Anyone that _knew_ them, at _all_ , knew they were best friends, nothing more.

Anybody that knew _Jack_ , would've known that he was anything but _good_.

It was laughable that _anyone_ , had the nerve to say, Jack Napier, would keep them _safe_. He'd be the first to break their _skull_.

And _nobody_ knew that.

Nobody but _her_.

 _Hadn't it always been her, though?_

Juniper watched the empty casket, lower into the ground.

A cigarette hung from her lips as she twirled the white rose between her fingertips.

 _She waited._

Waited until the hole had been sealed with dirt, and the gossip grubbing pigs, dispersed, back into their luxurious vehicles of _elegance_. She waited until they took down the folding chairs, and rolled up the rug, that had sat in the middle of the graveyard.

Juniper repeated the cliche quote they'd placed on the cheap, looking tombstone, in her head, and did her best not to think about the absence of Jack's father.

Her palm felt sticky, and wet, warm against the chill, that bit her bare legs in the black, formal dress. Juniper looked down to see the once, white rose, _tainted_ with red, her fingertips, were torn and bleeding. She couldn't help but think of how it fit so perfectly with the setting, of _gloom, and doom_.

Juniper placed the rose, against the headstone, and didn't look back as she drove away.

TO BE CONTINUED


	20. Sequel Introduction RAMPAGE

**_EXACT DATE UNKNOWN, 2008_**

"I thought you were dead." She rasped, using what air she could, to speak the words, and she hoped, God, she hoped, that he would understand. That he wouldn't kill her, simply because she knew the man beneath the makeup, because he was angry she tried to leave. Juniper watched her chances of living dwindle to nothing, in the dark pools of black - that she had no choice, but to stare into. His eyes danced, like a wildfire, lapping at her feet. The unhinged gleam in them had eaten the light of his, once golden brown orbs, whole. The man she had loved, was indeed dead. Just as she would be.

His hold on her throat tightened, like a snake, choking the breath from her lungs, and his yellowed teeth snarled at her, venomously. There was a pressure on her chest, and Juniper knew that she was suffocating. He was literally choking the life out of her, and then, he was growling into her ear, "Thought? Or _hoped?_ _Hm, Ju-ni-per_?" His eyes were piercing into her's, and she knew he could see her, see everything she didn't want him to see, her vulnerability, her fear, anything that was there, he could see, as though she were a piece of glass. He'd always been able to.

His eyes became distracted as he retracted one of his hands from her throat, grabbing the scattered pile of mail from the wooden table beside her.

"You go by _June_ now? _Hmmm_?" His eyes lit up, and not in a good way. They lit up like he'd just found some useful information, that he could use against her. Thankfully, the questions were rhetorical, if he wanted her to answer, his hold would have to loosen, at least a bit-it didn't.

"That _must_ be why I couldn't find your file." He'd been _looking_ for her.

Juniper didn't respond to that either, couldn't if she'd have wanted to, she imagined her face was turning a lovely shade of purple by now. He rolled his eyes sarcastically when she didn't respond, discarding the bundle of mail over his shoulder, with the flick of his wrist. "How _boring_!" He clicked his tongue at her, as though he were disappointed, "It makes my nickname less special now, _Joo-ny._ " Jack- _Joker_ pulled her toward him, away from the wall, and she was confronted, once more, with his height, and her lack there of. He was close, closer than he'd ever been at his own accord, Juniper felt her eyes flutter as the rough tip of his thumb caressed her cheekbone, he smelled of aftershave, and leather.

She'd forgotten what it felt like to have his arms around her, but now that she was reminded, the grip felt suffocating, and like home, all the same.

Juniper's eyes trailed over his face, and even through the greasepaint, through the oily green hair, and the scars that elongated his smile, she could see her best friend staring back at her. She'd believed that when Jack had 'died,' her heart had forgotten the idea of love, but as he stood before her now, she knew she'd been , wrong, wrong. Couldn't have been more so.

For a moment, Juniper wished that Jack really had died-to stop her chest from beating for the psychopath, that stood in front of her. She should stop lying to herself so much, she decided.

Suddenly, he was everywhere. Bipolar, lust filled gaze locked onto her. Jack was nuzzling his nose into her neck, breathing words into her ear, kissing the pulse along her wrist. Juniper tasted copper, and only then remembered she'd almost bit her tongue in half.

The lapels of his coat were gathered in her fists, and she tugged him as close as possible. Her head tucked beneath his chin, and surprisingly, the deranged version of her childhood best friend, just held her, and even traced soothing circles into her spine. Her heartbeat felt as though it belonged to a hummingbird, Juniper hadn't felt so alive in ages. Of course, it would take Jack, revealing himself to be a villainous criminal, that terrorized the city, to free her of the unfeeling, depressed state, she'd been in.

For the first time in a while, Juniper was truly afraid.

She soon was given reason to be, as her phone trilled from the table-the ring tone too familiar for comfort, as the man she'd once known, looked down at her, and instead of the deranged black pools she'd grown used to seeing in the papers-they were soft, a doe-like brown, the golden trim around his pupil seemed to glow at her in the dim-lit, dingy apartment. The ring grew more clear as he held the phone up to his ear, he simply batted her hand away when she went to grab for it. All she could do was watch as he accepted the call, without bothering to look at the contact. Juniper held her breath so she could hear the voice on the other side-although she already knew, exactly who it was.

 _No. No. No_.

"Hey, baby," That was all it took, for the narrowed eyes to darken, to the soulless onyx color from before, and Juniper slowly attempted to withdraw from his reach. Jack's hold tightened, painfully. ".. _Okay_ , I don't know why you're not responding.. but, I just called to let you know-I won't be home on time tonight. Jimmy's g-" The phone was slammed down, against the counter, behind her. She'd been right.

 _Damien_.

Juniper pushed slightly on the towering man's chest, to put some form of distance between them. Jack-she didn't know if she could even call him that, anymore-snorted, almost uncaringly, but she knew he did care, maybe a little too much-Jack had never been good at caring. This was proved when he gripped her thigh, roughly, hauling her up onto the counter, his long fingers, digging into her skin, Juniper couldn't help but wince away. "Awww, that's _cu-te_." His voice remained light, and casual, but she knew that wouldn't last long. "Just a few minutes _agoooo_ , you couldn't get _enough_ of me." Juniper flinched, a gasp escaping her when he grabbed her face, and jerked her to him. The demonic growl that ripped through his throat, had her heart threatening to beat, nearly out of her chest.

His mouth was on her neck, biting harshly, in a twisted show of punishment, and Juniper did her best to hold back the sob that threatened to escape her lips. But, his teeth had latched down on her collarbone, it felt as though it would snap beneath his jaw. The tears that pooled from her eyes left her embarrassed, and ashamed. Because, despite the pain that he was showing her, Juniper couldn't deny the rush of arousal that had her squirming under his commanding form. Her hands were still on his chest, but she was much less persistent than she had been. Juniper barely heard his low snicker, and probably wouldn't have paid any mind to his words-if they hadn't been spoken, directly into her ear.

"And you _still wan-t_ me." Her skin tingled, goosebumps raising on her arms, she let her eyelids fall shut. Jack nodded, exaggeratedly, tenderly stroking the sore looking mark on her neck. "That's _good_ , doll. Because I never stopped wanting you." Juniper made a soft sigh at the confession, and drew herself closer, exposing her throat to him, as he breathed her in. She could feel him through his purple, thin striped slacks, he was pressed against her, and Juniper knew she was radiating heat. Jack's hands roamed up, and down her legs, brushing the hem of her dress up the milky expanse of her thighs, and yanking her hips to connect with his. He was firm, pressed against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh, Juniper stifled a moan as his hand came up to wrap around her throat, without the intent of choking her-this time.

Jack's lips hovered above her's, and Juniper arched her back to meet his lips. However, they continued to linger, just out of her reach. She tangled her fingers in the loops of his belt, encouraging him to return, but, instead, his hands were lacing themselves in her hair, and forcing her to stare, directly up at him. His eyes, were still their inky shade of black, and they twinkled, deceptively, as she blinked up at him. "There's only _ooooone_ problem…" He cooed at her, straining his neck further, to look at her, she couldn't see past his dark stare. Juniper's breath stuttered in her lungs, in anticipation at his words. Finally, they came.

 _"I. Don't. Share."_

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 ** _That's a wrap!_**

 ** _Thank you for your reviews, and support, hopefully you'll follow me to the sequel, as a thank you for this little sneak peek of it *wink* *wink* it will be called RAMPAGE._**

 ** _Keep and eye out for it, much love xxx -h_**


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